“Wait!” Yang Kai called out suddenly.
The Feudal Lord froze upon hearing that and turned to look at Yang Kai with a smile, “Is there s-something else, Sir?”
Yang Kai took out a bottle of wine and tossed it over, “Take this to Mo Na Ye.”
Having received benefits from the Black Ink Clan, it was only natural for him to return something in exchange. This was the principle of reciprocity, and besides, Yang Kai had plenty of fine wine in his Small Universe.
The Feudal Lord accepted the bottle and carefully stored it away, but when he looked up again, Yang Kai had already disappeared. The Feudal Lord couldn’t help but shiver as he quickly flew back to the No-Return Pass.
When he arrived, he reported the exchange of goods and presented the bottle of wine; however, Mo Na Ye’s brow just twitched upon seeing it, feeling absolutely disgusted.
Last time, Yang Kai gave him a bottle of wine which he refused to drink and just smashed directly. That time could be considered a private gift from Yang Kai to him which nobody saw, so it didn’t matter; however, it was different this time. The resources were handed over by the Feudal Lord, and it was the first time that they had exchanged goods with Yang Kai. Many in the No-Return Pass were watching this matter closely.
If this matter were to spread, what would the Royal Lord think? What would the other Territory Lords think? It would seem as if Mo Na Ye had a close relationship with Yang Kai, possibly even engaging in some shady deals. If he didn’t explain this matter clearly, how could the Royal Lord trust him in the future?
Mo Na Ye wished he could immediately go out and fight Yang Kai to prove his innocence.
After dismissing the Feudal Lord, he dared not delay. He took the bottle of wine and went to the Royal Lord’s Black Ink Nest to report word for word what the Feudal Lord said. Fortunately, the Royal Lord didn’t have much of a reaction, he simply acknowledged the matter calmly and dismissed Mo Na Ye.
Mo Na Ye re-affirmed that he could not let his guard down when dealing with such a despicable and shameless person like Yang Kai; otherwise, he would likely be taken advantage of by him.
However, the enmity between the Human Race and Black Ink Clans was deep and unresolvable, so Yang Kai’s little tricks had minimal effect. Though, this simple method of sowing discord could have unforeseen consequences if it was used on someone else not within the two camps, it had negligible consequences between blood enemies.
The soldiers of the Human Race and Black Ink Clans on the frontline battlefield continued to clash, while the No-Return Pass remained as calm as usual. In fact, since the Black Ink Clan captured the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai had either come alone or led a small group of Humans to cause trouble less than a handful of times. Without Yang Kai, the No-Return Pass would have been completely quiet and comfortable, with many Territory Lords who had been severely injured in battle willing to return here and rest in the High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Every five years, the Black Ink Clan sent out the counted goods from the No-Return Pass and handed them over to Yang Kai; however, since the first time they were deceived, no Black Ink Clansman dared to easily accept the fine wine that Yang Kai offered, leaving him helpless.
Each time Yang Kai exchanged goods with the Black Ink Clan, he would simply designate a random location. The void was vast anyway, so if he simply chose a spot at random, he would not have to fear that Black Ink Clan would set him up.
Overall, everything went smoothly, and over the past century, Yang Kai accumulated many valuable resources.
Considering the time, the day was soon approaching that he had agreed to meet Ou Yang Lie and the others.
After receiving a bit less than 30% of the Black Ink Clan’s gathered resources again, Yang Kai hurriedly rushed to the Humans’ resource-gathering site.
Before this, he had left Space Beacons along the way, so it was not difficult to cross this route and search for Ou Yang Lie and the others.
As expected, Ou Yang Lie vented his pent-up anger on Yang Kai as soon as he arrived. He roared about how Yang Kai and Big Head Mi were wasting his talents by sending him here. He also wanted Yang Kai to go back to the Supreme Headquarters and request Big Head Mi to transfer him back to the frontlines of the battlefield.
Only when Yang Kai agreed to make the request did Ou Yang Lie stop complaining.
Over the past 100 years, tens of thousands of Human Race cultivators had been mining and gathering resources in this region. This place was deep within the Black Ink Battlefield, far beyond the region where the Royal City used to be. So, even though a century had passed, this area remained peaceful and undisturbed.
This was good news, and it was also what Yang Kai hoped to see. If the Black Ink Clan found traces of the tens of thousands of Human Race Masters collecting resources here, they would have to relocate far away. It was not wise to fight the Black Ink Clan here because these Human Masters’ strength was generally not high, which was why they were sent here to gather resources in the first place. Fighting was not their concern.
After gathering the past 100 years’ harvest, Yang Kai bid farewell to Ou Yang Lie and the others. Then, he connected to the World Tree and used it to guide him into the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, then returned to the Star Boundary.
Without delay, he went directly to the Supreme Headquarters and handed over all the harvests of the past 100 years to Mi Jing Lun.
After examining the items, Mi Jing Lun was greatly surprised and couldn’t help asking, “When did the resources from the Black Ink Battlefield become so rich?”
He had roughly estimated how much the tens of thousands of soldiers could mine in 100 years as he knew the situation in the Black Ink Battlefield very well, having spent over 10,000 years there. However, the amount that Yang Kai brought back was easily triple what he had estimated.
Originally, according to his estimation, the tens of thousands of soldiers could only delay the exhaustion of their supplies, even if they worked day and night to gather and mine in suitable areas. But with Yang Kai bringing back so much, the Human Race’s consumption of resources over the past century was immediately replenished, and there was even some surplus!
This was truly an unexpected delight.
However, he soon thought of something and looked at Yang Kai solemnly, “Did you plunder these from the Black Ink Clan?”
Only the Black Ink Clan could have so many resources; otherwise, there was no way to explain the sight in front of him.
Yang Kai smiled and said, “You could put it that way. I made some agreements with the Black Ink Clan, and from now on, I will receive 30% of what they mine from the Black Ink Battlefield. What I’ve passed to you includes those that were gathered by the Humans and those obtained from the No-Return Pass.”
Mi Jing Lun’s expression became complex. Although Yang Kai did not say how he achieved this, Mi Jing Lun could imagine the difficulties and dangers he faced.
If it weren’t for the fact that the Black Ink Clan had no choice but to agree due to certain circumstances, how was it possible for them to agree to Yang Kai’s outrageous demands?
Moreover, Yang Kai acted alone, so how did he manage to make the Black Ink Clan agree to his terms? Over the past 100 years, Yang Kai must have faced a lot of life-or-death crises…
Mi Jing Lun felt a complex mix of emotions as he thought about how the heavy burden of hope for the entire Race was placed on one person’s shoulders.
After taking a breath, he dropped to one knee to show his respect!
Yang Kai was taken aback and quickly helped Mi Jing Lun up, “Senior Brother, what are you doing?”
Mi Jing Lun, however, refused to stand up as he quickly replied, “This Senior Brother, on behalf of the trillions of Humans, thank you, Junior Brother!”
That made Yang Kai feel embarrassed, “Senior Brother, you’re taking this too seriously. I was born Human too, and many of my friends and family are fighting against the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield. This is just what I should do.”
After helping Mi Jing Lun up forcefully, he changed the subject, “Senior Brother, how is the situation between the two sides?”
“It’s still the same as before. No major changes.”
On the various Great Territory Battlefields, newcomers from both sides constantly emerged, while many elites also died on the battlefield. In this tense and hostile environment, having high qualifications didn’t necessarily guarantee one would reap the most benefits. High qualifications only represented great potential. To gain more strength, one must first survive on the battlefield, only then would they be capable of seizing their own future.
The Human Race was not lacking in talent, but time. The first batch of good seedlings who directly ascended to the Seventh-Order Open Heaven Realm had now reached the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, but to ascend to the Ninth-Order, they still needed time to accumulate heritage and hone their skills.
As for the old Eighth-Order Masters like Mi Jing Lun and Ou Yang Lie, they had already reached their limits due to their initial potential and would never ascend to the Ninth Order.
On the other hand, Xiang Shan and Wei Jun Yang, who were a few of the eligible veterans to advance to the Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm, were still in retreat, and no one knew how they were doing or if everything was going smoothly.
Breakthroughs were matters that outsiders could not help with; they could only rely on themselves.
Yang Kai silently prayed that someday when he returned, he would be able to receive good news.
Without staying long at the Supreme Headquarters, after his brief exchange with Mi Jing Lun, confirming that the situation between the two sides would not worsen in the short term, Yang Kai set out again, heading to Black Territory to use the secret passageway and rush back to the Black Ink Battlefield.
Every five years, the No-Return Pass sent out a batch of resources, while Ou Yang Lie and others worked for 100 years before delivering their harvest. Over the long years, Yang Kai shuttled back and forth through the void alone, bringing one batch of resources after another from the Black Ink Battlefield to the Human Race to use for their cultivation.
With Yang Kai’s efforts, the Supreme Headquarters no longer had to worry about resources as the amount he brought back every 100 years was enough to fulfil their needs.
During this period, Yang Kai also took the time to go to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to investigate the situation. The battle there was extremely intense, but thanks to Wu Kuang’s cooperation with the Suppressing Black Ink Army, the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had never expanded. Those from Black Ink Clan that could rush through the gap were greatly suppressed in both quantity and quality.
As a result, the 6,000 soldiers of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, coupled with the various arrangements of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and Divine Dragon Fu Guang who was assuming command, were able to maintain the status quo.
However, even after so many years of slaughter, there was no sign of decline among the Black Ink Clan within the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. It was truly frightening as no one knew how many of them were lurking in the area and how many Black Ink Clansmen would emerge in the end. It seemed as if they could never be eradicated.
Now, the entire outside of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was covered by the Black Ink Clouds formed by the Black Ink Clansmen after their deaths. If it weren’t for the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress having its own protection against the invasion of Black Ink Strength, even just dealing with that dense Black Ink Strength would be enough to give the Suppressing Black Ink Army a headache.
Yang Kai also learned from Fu Guang that a few Royal Lords inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had attempted to break out, but most had failed. The few Royal Lords who had successfully emerged all suffered serious injuries in the process, making them no match for a Divine Dragon that was lying in ambush for them.
Over the years, an impressive eight Royal Lords had died by Fu Guang’s claws.
When it came to who killed the most Royal Lords over the past thousands of years, it would undoubtedly be Fu Guang. There were precedents where Ninth-Order Old Ancestors had successfully killed Royal Lords on the Black Ink Battlefield, but no Ninth-Order Old Ancestor had ever killed as many Royal Lords cumulatively. It was just that Fu Guang’s impressive battle record was due to special circumstances, so his achievements could not be replicated.
Under Wu Kuang’s full control, the gap that was opened in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction could only allow Territory Lords to pass through safely. The same could not be said for the Royal Lords.
The only consequence of forcing their way through the gap was being injured by the Grand Restriction as well as suffering bombardment from the Suppressing Black Ink Army. Accordingly, none of the Royal Lords who charged out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction came out intact. Most of them only had 70% of their strength left, so how could they survive against a Master like Fu Guang?
Wu Kuang paid a heavy price for this feat though. Although he was now a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, he needed to exert all his strength to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. For that reason, even his cultivation had been set aside. When Yang Kai came to ask him about the situation, he only spared a few words before cutting off their contact, apparently worried that he might make a mistake that would lead to irreparable damage.
The situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was stable for the time being, so there was nothing for Yang Kai to worry about. In reality, there was nothing he could do either.
He even took the time to travel to the Chaotic Dead Territory and delivered a generous amount of Five Elements materials to Zhang Ruo Xi. Although he left some for her last time, that was only enough to last 1,000 years. Now that several hundred years had passed, she had probably exhausted most of them already.
Having not seen Ruo Xi for so many years, the increase in her strength was very obvious. Compared to when she first advanced to the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, her aura had undoubtedly become several times more substantial. The reason behind everything was the continuous refinement of her Heaven’s Order Bloodline and the increase in the heritage of her Small Universe. That was especially true for the latter reason.
Ordinary cultivators had to refine a full set of Seven Elements materials to maintain balance in their Small Universe, but Zhang Ruo Xi had the help of Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan, so she only needed to refine Five Elements Power while pure Yin and Yang were simply supplied directly to her. As a result, her cultivation period was reduced by some 30% compared to ordinary cultivators.
Both Big Brother Huang and Big Sister Lan attached great importance to Ruo Xi’s cultivation. Over the years, they had been encouraging her to cultivate the Five Elements materials without the slightest pause.
Fortunately, Zhang Ruo Xi herself had the kind of character that could endure great loneliness and hardship. Knowing that she would only shine brightly in the upcoming war if she became stronger, she had doubled her diligence over the past few years. In this way, it was only natural for her strength to grow in leaps and bounds.
In the blink of an eye, 1,000 years had passed since Yang Kai reached an agreement with Mo Na Ye to receive 30% of the cultivation resources from the Black Ink Clan.
Over the past 1,000 years, Yang Kai not only travelled to the Chaotic Dead Territory and the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, but also the No-Return Pass. He had ferried the resources gained by the Human Race Masters from various places to the Supreme Headquarters, perfectly acting as a delivery man, providing the best guarantee for the cultivation of the Human Race Masters.
When Yang Kai was weak, months and years seemed like an extremely long time, but now that he was stronger, 1,000 years was nothing to be bothered about. Especially considering the war between both Races had lasted for hundreds of thousands of years
Yang Kai had not been actively cultivating over the recent years, but he would still take time to contemplate the Grand Daos of Space and Time during his downtime. Even so, he had reached the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
His Small Universe had been expanded to its limits and he could clearly perceive the invisible shackles surrounding it, restricting him from further improvements to his strength. These were the inherent shackles produced by the Open Heaven Realm method. Aside from the Heaven’s Order Bloodline that Zhang Ruo Xi carried, which allowed her to ignore these shackles, nobody had ever succeeded in breaking these bonds since ancient times.
Inside the Main Hall of the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye was reading various reports regarding the front lines. One of the battlefields had suffered a strong attack from the Human Race and experienced heavy losses recently, so the number of troops there needed to be replenished. The Territory Lords of another battlefield had been slaughtered, so more Masters needed to be transferred over…
Recently, he could clearly sense that the battle between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race had become more fierce. That was not just caused by the continuous development of the situation, but also the increasing number of Masters among the two Races.
After so many years, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and the Territory Lords were no longer comparable to when the invasion of the 3,000 Worlds began. The more Masters there were, the more fierce the battles became.
Mo Na Ye had a vague feeling in his heart that the current situation between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race would not last for much longer. When the Masters of both Races reached a critical number, or some external factor was triggered, the flames of war would fully erupt and engulf the entire Universe.
Mo Na Ye had been helping Royal Lord Mo Yu manage the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for many years now, so he naturally knew how to deal with the situation at hand. The only thing that troubled him was the other Pseudo-Royal Lord, Meng Que.
Ever since Meng Que advanced to become a Pseudo-Royal Lord, he had been restless and anxious, wanting nothing more than to slaughter the Human Race Masters to prove his strength. Fortunately, the Royal Lord did not allow him to act. Leaving aside their agreement with Yang Kai, it was problematic for a Pseudo-Royal Lord to appear on the battlefield. Even without the agreement, Meng Que was one of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden trump cards, so how could they reveal their hand so easily?
Slaying a small number of Human Race Masters would not affect the larger picture, so Meng Que should only reveal himself during a critical situation. It would be best if he could reverse the power balance between the Black Ink Clan and the Human Race in one fell swoop, which would lay the foundation for the success of the Black Ink Clan.
Besides, Mo Na Ye suspected that there were new Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters among the Human Race. Take Xiang Shan for example. It had been many years since he disappeared. Even if Meng Que made an appearance, the Humans might not be helpless against him.
Mo Na Ye had considered the best interests of the Black Ink Clan and Meng Que, but Meng Que refused to understand his kindness, becoming more and more presumptuous over the years. When the Royal Lord forbade him from leaving the No-Return Pass, Meng Que had the brilliant idea of splitting authority instead.
Therefore, Mo Na Ye couldn’t help feeling a headache. A dozen Innate Territory Lords had performed the Source Fusion Technique, so why did Meng Que have to succeed?
Mo Na Ye prided himself on being able to see the bigger picture while not being blinded by authority and power. Everything he did was for the sake of the Black Ink Clan to one day dominate the Universe; hence, he naturally refused to split his authority with Meng Que. Having handled the affairs of the Black Ink Clan for so long, Mo Na Ye knew better than anybody about the difference between one compared to two people issuing orders. Fortunately, the Royal Lord favoured Mo Na Ye. Faced with Meng Que’s many requests, Mo Yu only focused on soothing Meng Que and did not actually promise the latter anything.
It was just that Meng Que had hung around, and his nonsense was very grating on the ears. Mo Na Ye tried his best to ignore Meng Que’s rantings as he conveyed order after order, until one day, all of a sudden, wild laughter mixed with joy came from somewhere.
Inside the Main Hall, Mo Na Ye, who was processing various reports, and Meng Que, who was chattering away endlessly, couldn’t help glancing at each other. They both saw the doubts in each other’s eyes.
If their guess was correct… The laughter belonged to the Royal Lord. Moreover, the source of the laughter was the Black Ink Nest where the Royal Lord was currently inhabiting.
Mo Na Ye hurriedly stood up and rushed outside. Not to be outdone, Meng Que hurriedly followed.
The laughter was very hearty, lasting for quite a while. When the two Pseudo-Royal Lords arrived in front of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, the Royal Lord Mo Yu’s laughter gradually subsided and a voice came from inside, “Come in!”
Mo Na Ye was about to step forward, but Meng Que deliberately took a step ahead and walked ahead of him. Used to this kind of behaviour, Mo Na Ye just quietly followed behind.
Very soon, the two Pseudo-Royal Lords stood before the Black Ink Clan’s true Royal Lord in the depths of the Black Ink Nest.
Meng Que was the first to speak, “Sir, did something joyous happen?”
Mo Yu nodded with a happy expression, “Indeed. Something joyous has occurred.”
He did not explain himself clearly. People generally became cheerful during joyous occasions, and the Black Ink Clan was no exception. Instead, he probed his two closest aides for their thoughts, “Tell me, where does this joy come from?”
Meng Que was stunned and did not know what to say in response. It was true that he was a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but he had always been known for his bad temper and straightforward temperament. Wit and intelligence were not his strong points. He frowned and pondered for a moment, then laughed in embarrassment, “Sir, this subordinate can’t think of an answer!”
“Keep thinking and speak whatever comes to mind!” Mo Yu said lightly.
Meng Que tentatively made a guess, “The Black Ink Clan enjoyed a huge victory on the front lines and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters?”
If that was the case, it made sense for the Royal Lord’s cheerful demeanour.
Mo Yu glanced at Meng Que quietly without confirming or denying the statement. Then, he glanced towards the silent Mo Na Ye, “What do you think, Mo Na Ye?”
Mo Na Ye considered the question and replied, “Has progress been made at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu laughed, “Correct! You’re as smart as usual, Mo Na Ye. We have indeed made progress at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
Mo Na Ye smiled with pride but looked neither smug nor overly humble.
Meng Que instantly became upset and grumbled, “How did you know?”
Mo Na Ye ignored Meng Que and thought to himself scornfully, [It’s so obvious, only a fool like you would not realise the truth.]
Then, he heard the Royal Lord speaking, “Explain it to him.”
Since the Royal Lord had spoken, Mo Na Ye could only obey, “Over the years, the Royal Lord has remained quietly in the Black Ink Nest without taking a single step outside. I have been managing all the affairs of the Black Ink Clan’s war efforts. Under ordinary circumstances, I have refrained from disturbing Sir Royal Lord with matters regarding the front lines. Even if we attained a great victory on the battlefields and slaughtered countless Human Race Masters, the news would reach me first. Since I was not informed of such matters, then it must not be related to the front lines.”
“Moreover, Sir Royal Lord has always remained in contact with those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. 1,000 years ago, Sir once mentioned that our clansmen were trying to find another gap in the Grand Restriction; hence, the reason for Sir’s joy must be thanks to good news from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.”
Meng Que frowned at the explanation. Although Mo Na Ye had explained the situation clearly, he remained unconvinced.
Mo Yu followed up, “Meng Que, you should learn more from Mo Na Ye. Strength alone is not enough against the Human Race. You need to use your wits. You know what happened to Di Wu back then. Nothing good will come from underestimating the Humans.”
Meng Que calmed down and bowed, “Meng Que will never forget your order, Sir.”
Mo Na Ye asked, “Sir, what was the news you received from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?”
Mo Yu grinned, “A group has succeeded in sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction!”
That was extremely sensitive and confidential information. If it were an ordinary Black Ink Clansman, then they naturally had no right to know such information; however, the ones standing here were two Pseudo-Royal Lords, which was why Mo Yu did not bother to hide anything from them.
[Our clansmen have snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?] Thousands of thoughts instantly flitted through Mo Na Ye’s mind, and he soon became overjoyed, “That is certainly something to be celebrated!”
He then paused for a moment before asking, “Sir, are there any Royal Lords among those that snuck out?
Mo Yu shook his head, “You also know the situation in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. With a Human Master overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, those inside took 1,000 years just to open up a gap wide enough they could exploit. The commotion would be too large if a Royal Lord tried to sneak out and the Humans would definitely notice, so only the Innate Territory Lords managed to escape.”
Mo Na Ye instantly understood the situation. Sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had to be done stealthily so they did not expose their actions; otherwise, the Human Race Master guarding the Grand Restriction might take action and turn their clansmen’s 1,000-year effort into a waste of time.
There were many Territory Lords at present, but the number of surviving Innate Territory Lords was far from their initial numbers back then. After years of fighting, countless Innate Territory Lords had lost their lives on the battlefield. At the moment, less than 10% of the Innate Territory Lords remained compared to their peak!
On the other hand, there was no shortage of Innate Territory Lords inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. If they could sneak out, then they would be a huge boost for the current Black Ink Clan.
“The number that came out is not great, but more and more will soon leave the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction,” Mo Yu added.
Mo Na Ye was a little curious and asked, “Sir, a Human Master is guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, how did our clansmen avoid detection and discovery of the gap?”
He did not doubt the ability of his clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction; rather, he was worried that all of this might be part of a trap set up by the Human Race. If the Human Master knew that Black Ink Clansmen were sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he might have simply allowed it to happen after setting up some kind of ambush or counterplan.
After fighting the Human Race for so long, Mo Na Ye had gotten used to considering all possible situations.
Mo Yu glanced at Mo Na Ye approvingly, obviously aware of what the latter was worried about. He thus explained, “As I told you before, the strength of that Human Master is inferior to Cang’s. He is roughly at the level of an ordinary Ninth-Order Master at most. With his strength, he will never be as good as Cang when it comes to monitoring and controlling the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Back then, this Human was foolish enough to open a gap in the Grand Restriction to cooperate with the Human Race Army and that Divine Dragon to intercept and kill all those who rushed out of the opening. Over the past 1,000 years, that battle has never ceased, but that was intentional. Those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction maintained this situation as, although it resulted in great casualties, it also allowed them to divert that Human Master’s focus. Several Royal Lords were even sacrificed to ensure that the enemy remained unaware of our actions.”
Mo Na Ye immediately understood. If the Human Race Master guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was completely focused on maintaining the gap he opened up, then his vigilance over the rest of the Grand Restriction would naturally weaken considerably. In this way, those inside would have the opportunity to sneak out unnoticed. After 1,000 years of hard work, they finally succeeded in their efforts.
That was definitely a great achievement; after all, they even sacrificed several Royal Lords just to keep that Human distracted… Judging by the situation, this Human’s control over the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was indeed far inferior to Cang. The Humans should have no knowledge of those who had snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Mo Na Ye immediately felt relieved.
Meng Que listened by the side for some time, then he suddenly spoke up, “Sir, those that came out are unfamiliar with the world outside since they have never left the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Should I go and welcome them?”
He had remained in the No-Return Pass ever since he became a Pseudo-Royal Lord, so he was feeling extremely bored and constricted. The Royal Lord had not allowed him to fight on the front lines, but welcoming some fellow clansmen should not be a problem.
Before Mo Yu could answer, Mo Na Ye snapped decisively, “Absolutely not!”
Meng Que immediately glared at Mo Na Ye and questioned, “Why not?”
Mo Na Ye glanced at Meng Que coldly before muttering, “Yang Kai is currently loitering outside the No-Return Pass. He will definitely notice you if you leave. Once that happens, what would be the point of hiding your existence until now?”
Meng Que opened his mouth but found himself speechless to refute the statement, but that only vexed and annoyed him even more, making him wish he could punch Mo Na Ye at least once.
Mo Yu nodded, “That’s right. Meng Que, it’s not the right time for you to reveal yourself. Besides, those that escaped should not come to the No-Return Pass either…”
Mo Na Ye bowed, “You are wise, Sir. If Yang Kai notices this kind of movement, he will easily realise that something has gone wrong at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. At that time, the Human Army on that side will surely take action to intercept our clansmen or worse, fix the hidden gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The 1,000-year effort of our brethren would all be wasted at that point. Sir, I ask that you send a message to them to rest and recover at a suitable location for now. They need to stay hidden and wait until the timing is right!”
Mo Yu agreed, “Good! But, the No-Return Pass will need to send them some supplies. Most who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction will be heavily injured, so they will need resources to heal. I will leave this matter to you.”
“Yes!” Mo Na Ye received the order and took the opportunity to obtain another miniature Black Ink Nest from the Royal Lord. Then, he used it to communicate with the clansmen living outside.
He generally acted with great caution, and considering that Yang Kai was hiding somewhere outside the No-Return Pass, monitoring the movements here, Mo Na Ye could only rely on the teams that were extracting materials outside to secretly divert some resources if he wanted to avoid arousing Yang Kai’s suspicions.
It did not take long for large amounts of resources to be sent out without notice. At the same time, several Black Ink Clansmen silently left the mining locations where the cultivation resources were being gathered and scattered in all directions across the Black Ink Battlefield.
Meanwhile, a steady stream of Territory Lords began sneaking out from inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Not only was Wu Kuang not strong enough, but he was also being distracted elsewhere; hence, it was difficult for him to detect these hidden movements of the Black Ink Clan.
The Territory Lords who snuck out had no intention of attacking the Suppressing Black Ink Army as that would be meaningless. Such actions would only alert the enemy to their presence. On the contrary, they immediately concealed their auras and took a long detour around the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to gather at designated locations under Mo Na Ye’s guidance.
To avoid the detection of the Human Race Master overseeing the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, only a few Territory Lords would sneak out at a time to prevent making too large a disturbance. They basically maintained a frequency of two or three Territory Lords every month.
Additionally, the Territory Lords who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had to pay a high price. Just as how the gap that Wu Kuang opened up could only allow Territory Lords to leave safely and any Royal Lords trying would be heavily wounded if they forcibly tried, all the Territory Lords who forcibly snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction from the hidden gap suffered injuries in varying degrees of severity.
It was precisely for this reason that Mo Yu had instructed Mo Na Ye to deliver a large amount of resources to these Territory Lords. The Innate Territory Lords from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction brought out many Black Ink Nests with them, but cultivation resources were needed to hatch these Black Ink Nests. Once the Black Ink Nests were hatched, they could enter them in order to treat their wounds while waiting for Mo Na Ye to summon them. In time, they would gather a huge force and deal a critical blow to the Human Race!
Everything took place in secret. The number of Territory Lords sneaking out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction gradually increased, but the Human Race remained unaware of the situation.
…..
Outside the No-Return Pass, a Feudal Lord was handing over 30% of the cultivation resources over the last five years to Yang Kai. Yang Kai examined the resources for a moment, then he frowned deeply, “Go back and tell Mo Na Ye… If he dares to deduct my share again, this King will take the resources myself!”
Over the past few years, Mo Na Ye had gotten bolder and bolder. The cultivation resources handed to him were reducing steadily, and the quality was not as good as before; hence, he couldn’t help becoming vigilant. What was the Black Ink Clan trying to do?
Mo Na Ye was a smart person; therefore, he should know the consequences of embezzling resources in such a bold manner. Although the Black Ink Clan had always given Yang Kai less than the agreed 30% of their gathered resources, the quantity and quality that were delivered to him at the beginning were quite generous, but both had been dropping steadily in recent years.
The Feudal Lord replied anxiously, “Yes, I will definitely deliver your message!”
“Scram!” Yang Kai waved his hand dismissively. The Feudal Lord immediately transformed into a Black Ink Cloud and flew off without delay.
Looking in the direction of the No-Return Pass for a moment, Yang Kai frowned slightly. What was the meaning behind Mo Na Ye’s actions?
He did not believe that the total amount gathered by the Black Ink Clan would decrease over the years. The vast Black Ink Battlefield was an enormous treasure trove, so as long as the Black Ink Clan remained diligent, they would not lack cultivation resources.
[If the same thing happens again, I will personally take action to retrieve my rightful share!]
Turning around, Yang Kai travelled towards the depths of the void. It was already time for the 100-year meeting with Ou Yang Lie and the others.
Over the past 1,000 years, tens of thousands of Human Race cultivators had been gathering resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. It was thanks to their diligent efforts that the troops on the front lines had sufficient supplies to cultivate, treat their wounds, and kill the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai repeatedly delivered the resources that were either obtained from the Black Ink Clan or gathered by the Human Race cultivators to the Supreme Headquarters. Although travelling back and forth was tiring, he was willing to make the effort; after all, he was the only person with the ability to perform this task.
Speeding towards the place where Ou Yang Lie and the others had been operating over the last 100 years, Yang Kai constantly checked for their location with his Space Beacons. After a few days, he realised that Ou Yang Lie and the others were no longer at the same location as 100 years ago.
Yang Kai was not surprised by his discovery though as it was common for them to mine out a region and then move on to the next. Over the past 1,000 years, the tens of thousands of cultivators had already relocated several times under Ou Yang Lie and the other veteran Eighth-Order Masters’ leadership.
For Yang Kai, he could easily figure out their location as long as Ou Yang Lie and the others carried Space Beacons on them. It was not as though he could not find them. Manipulating Space Principles, Yang Kai took a step forward. The world turned upside down, and he appeared next to Ou Yang Lie.
Before Yang Kai had time to greet Ou Yang Lie, he heard a voice in his ears, “Shh…”
He instinctively concealed his aura and turned to look around himself. Then, Yang Kai immediately became more confused. There was no sign of other people in the area, much less the lively scene he expected where tens of thousands of cultivators were scattered nearby to diligently mine or gather cultivation resources.
Ou Yang Lie seemed to be the only person here; nevertheless, he was acting extremely cautiously, as though he was guarding against some kind of danger.
Ou Yan Lie was currently located on a small Universe Fragment, one that was barely the size of a small mountain. Similar Universe Fragments could be found everywhere on the Black Ink Battlefield. Moreover, he was sticking close to a pit so that his body sank inside completely. Once his aura was concealed, he would not be found unless someone probed this Universe Fragment very carefully.
[What is he doing?]
“Look over there!” Standing next to Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie sent a Divine Sense message while pointing in a certain direction.
Yang Kai turned to look where he was directed, and what entered his vision at a glance was a dead Universe World. He could not tell how long the Universe World had been dead, with its World Force long gone. Even the Universe World’s Grand Dao had collapsed and withered away for who knows how many years.
An abundance of Universe Worlds in similar conditions could be found scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield. In the distant past, these Universe Worlds might have either been prosperous or contained countless living creatures. Unfortunately, they were dead and lifeless now. For both the Human Race and the Black Ink Clan, the only value left in these Universe Worlds was the opportunity to obtain various resources that remained in them.
Needless to say, what Ou Yang Lie wanted to point out to Yang Kai was not the Universe World itself but something that could be found in the Universe World instead. It turned out to be a special existence that resembled a small mountain surrounded by dense Black Ink Strength, towering several thousand metres high into the sky. The structure seemed deeply rooted in the World, almost as though integrated with the Universe World itself.
[A Black Ink Nest!?] Yang Kai’s eyes shrank at the sight.
What stood in the middle of the dead Universe World was none other than a Black Ink Nest here! Moreover, judging by the size of the Black Ink Nest and the density of the surrounding Black Ink Strength, it was at least a Mid-Rank Black Ink Nest, but more likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest!
[Why is there a Black Ink Nest here!?] Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering as great confusion inadvertently flooded his heart.
Ou Yang Lie’s voice rang in his ears again, “After our most recent migration, several Eighth-Order Masters and I were investigating the surrounding vicinity when we accidentally came across this Black Ink Nest 10 years ago.”
Not knowing how many Black Ink Clansmen were hidden inside the Black Ink Nest, Ou Yang Lie and the others did not dare to expose themselves; hence, they simply decided to monitor the situation for the time being. Ou Yang Lie was tasked with waiting for Yang Kai’s arrival at this spot while the other veterans brought the resource-gathering team away from this region to continue sourcing materials from other sites.
The wait lasted 10 years; after all, it had always been Yang Kai who took the initiative to approach them while Ou Yang Lie and others had no means to communicate with Yang Kai. For that reason, Ou Yang Lie had been anxiously counting the passing days. It was truly fortunate that Yang Kai had shown up on time.
After observing the Black Ink Nest intently, Yang Kai discovered that it was most likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. In all likelihood, the Black Ink Nest lacked the magnificence of a true High-Rank Nest because it was not fully hatched. Furthermore, the Black Ink Strength produced by this Black Ink Nest did not radiate into the surroundings but remained condensed around it as much as possible to prevent any unnecessary waste.
Yang Kai then sent a Divine Sense message to inquire about the situation, “Senior Brother, has the Black Ink Nest been in this condition since you first discovered it?”
Ou Yang Lie gently nodded, “There have been no changes so far.”
“Did you see any Black Ink Clansmen entering or leaving?”
He shook his head, “No.”
This was very strange. Why was a suspected High-Rank Black Ink Nest located in such a remote area? Not to mention, there were no signs of Black Ink Clansmen entering or leaving the premises. Had the Black Ink Nest been abandoned by the Black Ink Clan in the past?
That did not make sense either. Black Ink Nests were special existences with extremely strong connections with each other. Even if this High-Rank Black Ink Nest had been abandoned in the past due to some unknown circumstances, the Black Ink Clan would have no trouble finding and retrieving it after so many years.
However, Ou Yang Lie had never seen a single Black Ink Clansman entering or leaving the Black Ink Nest over the past 10 years. In other words, the Black Ink Clan was aware of this Black Ink Nest’s existence but had chosen to ignore it.
It was generally impossible for Black Ink Nests to be empty. There were bound to be some Black Ink Clansmen nearby, either to guard the Black Ink Nest or to gather resources nearby. Contrary to expectations, the Black Ink Nest before them seemed to be completely empty. There was not a single soldier to be seen anywhere.
“Junior Brother, should I investigate the situation inside?” Ou Yang Lie inquired. He had long since wanted to take action, but he had not dared to act recklessly since he did not know what was lurking in this Black Ink Nest. Now that Yang Kai was here, he should have no difficulty investigating the situation inside with Yang Kai’s support.
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, “I’ll go!”
Seeing as the current situation remained uncertain, they had to prepare themselves for the worst. If there was a Royal Lord inside this Black Ink Nest, Ou Yang Lie would only be courting death if he recklessly rushed forward. On the other hand, Yang Kai had enough confidence to escape even if he accidentally ran into a Royal Lord.
Ou Yang Lie nodded at those words, “In that case, I will stand by to provide support, Junior Brother!”
“Be careful, Senior Brother!” Yang Kai warned. Looking in the direction of the Black Ink Nest, he took a step forward and his figure disappeared into the Void.
Regardless of the circumstances, it was a given that they had to understand the situation inside the Black Ink Nest. Since the decision was made, then there was no need for further hesitation.
In the next moment, Yang Kai’s figure suddenly appeared above the Black Ink Nest under Ou Yang Lie’s watch. A huge and dazzling Great Sun suddenly leapt into the sky, illuminating the surrounding void in all directions. Despite standing a million kilometres away, Ou Yang Lie could clearly feel the power behind this attack.
Following the appearance of the Great Sun, the sound of a Golden Crow reverberated. The attack landed directly upon the Black Ink Nest, causing a burst of light to erupt throughout the void, illuminating it like the first rays of morning.
The several thousand-metres-tall Black Ink Nest instantly evaporated under the scorching Sun. At the same time, Ou Yang Lie sensed more than a dozen powerful auras flickering into existence from the ruins. He immediately calmed down after he determined the strength of those auras. Although the situation was bad, it was not completely helpless.
More than a dozen Territory Lords were hidden inside the Black Ink Nest, but there were no Royal Lords. With Yang Kai here, there would be no issues so long as there were no Royal Lords!
The thought had only just passed through Ou Yang Lie’s mind when the aura of a Territory Lord vanished from existence…
[How quick!]
In the blink of an eye, one of the Territory Lords died at Yang Kai’s hands. The speed left Ou Yang Lie absolutely flabbergasted. Such killing efficiency was completely beyond his means. Before he could compose himself though, he sensed the aura of another Territory Lord withering away and suddenly felt powerless in comparison. At this moment, he couldn’t tell whether Yang Kai was too strong or the Territory Lords were too weak.
Ou Yang Lie was too far away to perceive the situation clearly. In comparison, Yang Kai stood in the middle of the battlefield and understood everything at a glance.
When his Golden Crow Casts the Sun destroyed the Black Ink Nest, Yang Kai had been on guard against the possibility of a Royal Lord awakening. Fortunately, there was no Royal Lord inside this Black Ink Nest, only Territory Lords. More precisely, there were a dozen or so Innate Territory Lords.
The Golden Crow Casts the Sun was just a probe, so Yang Kai had not planned to achieve much from that attack alone, but not only was the High-Rank Black Ink Nest destroyed under the force of his Divine Manifestation, the dozen or so Territory Lords hidden inside were wounded as a result…
However, Yang Kai soon realised that something was wrong. Not all the wounds on the Territory Lords were caused by his Golden Crow Casts the Sun. Innate Territory Lords were inherently powerful, so even if they suffered injuries from this sudden attack, it did not make sense for their wounds to be so severe.
Realisation struck Yang Kai abruptly. These Innate Territory Lords… were wounded in the first place. They had been hiding inside the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds, which left them completely unguarded towards his attack earlier. Seeing as they were already injured, the impact of the Golden Crow Casts the Sun had only worsened their condition.
1,000 years ago, Yang Kai had travelled to the Divine Spirit Ancestral Land and encountered an Innate Territory Lord at his peak. Even then, Yang Kai had managed to kill that Territory Lord in just three moves. He had employed various tricks at the time, but from the results of that clash, Yang Kai estimated he could have slain the Innate Territory Lord within 10 moves without resorting to any deeper strategy.
Now, 1,000 years later, Yang Kai’s strength had improved significantly. At this moment, he was much stronger in terms of cultivation, physique, heritage, and his comprehension of the Grand Dao. Even if an Innate Territory Lord in his prime were to stand before him now, Yang Kai would no longer need 10 moves or special tricks to kill them. He was confident he could slaughter any Innate Territory Lord within three moves now.
Not only were these wounded Territory Lords weakened in the first place, but they were also caught off guard and thrown into confusion after the initial sneak attack. Combined with meeting a killing star like Yang Kai, they were bound to suffer a tragic fate.
Two of the Territory Lords lost their lives in the blink of an eye, and the disturbance caused by their withering auras frightened the other Territory Lords greatly. At that moment, they subconsciously assumed that the one who attacked them was a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master! Contrary to their expectations though, their senses told them that their assailant was only in the Eighth Order!
Was the outside world so dangerous!? Since when did Eighth-Order Human Masters become so powerful!? Wasn’t it said that Innate Territory Lords were stronger on average than Eighth-Order Masters?!
If the Territory Lords at the No-Return Pass had faced such a situation, they would have hurriedly gathered together to form Battle Formations to protect themselves. Unfortunately, these Innate Territory Lords had never learned about Battle Formations. They had also never truly fought an enemy before, so their mentality and reaction speed were abysmal. How could they come up with a suitable countermeasure in a state of panic and desperation? They simply followed their instincts and began besieging Yang Kai from all directions.
Black Ink Strength surged violently as World Force stirred turbulently. The silent void instantly became a bloody battlefield.
The spear in Yang Kai’s hand swept out as more Great Suns leapt into the sky and exploded with great force. Furthermore, various Dao Strengths wove together at the tip of his spear. Yang Kai spun an impenetrable net of death around him. The Innate Territory Lords caught in the invisible net struggled and howled like chained beasts, but ultimately, they could not escape the fate of being killed.
In the distance, Ou Yang Lie was stunned by the scene playing out before him. The rapid and consecutive withering of powerful auras left only one thought churning in his head. [How is this brat… so fierce?]
Ou Yang Lie himself was a veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, but be that as it may, he felt as though he could barely compare to Yang Kai in terms of strength anymore.
[We are both at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, so why is there such a large gap between our strengths? It doesn’t make sense… It doesn’t make sense at all…]
Even if the Innate Territory Lords were wounded, they were not chickens and dogs that could be slain so easily. Faced with Yang Kai’s ruthless assault, the power behind their instinctive counterattacks was not to be underestimated.
If it was any other Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master, even if they managed to seize the initiative, they could not persist for so long under the fierce barrage of attacks that came from all directions if their defences were not strong enough. Unfortunately for the Territory Lords, Yang Kai was different.
Yang Kai’s Dragon Form was only one step away from breaking through to reaching the Divine Dragon Realm; hence, his physical toughness was almost unparalleled. He was perfectly capable of withstanding a few attacks from these Territory Lords that landed on him. As long as he was not subjected to this bombardment for too long, his life would not be endangered in the slightest.
Moreover, the corruption of the Black Ink Strength was completely ineffective against Yang Kai. With no fear of Black Ink Strength and equipped with impregnable defensive abilities, he only needed to bring out his strongest killing moves as quickly as possible to end the fight.
For the most part, Yang Kai traded equal blows with the Territory Lords. It was just that the outcomes for each party after receiving a blow from their opponent were distinctly different. Yang Kai suffered some shocks after being hit, suffering light injuries at most. In contrast, the Territory Lords basically died on the spot.
In less than an incense stick of time, 10 out of the dozen or so Territory Lords had been killed. It was at this moment that the remaining five Territory Lords finally realised that something was very wrong. Following a furious roar from one of the surviving Territory Lords, the five of them scattered in different directions.
This Eighth-Order Human who appeared out of nowhere was much too terrifying. He was not somebody they could defeat. Under these circumstances, they could only hope that at least one of them could escape to relay word about what happened here to the No-Return Pass!
The sudden outbreak of the battle not only destroyed the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, but also caused most of the Innate Territory Lords hiding within to be killed or injured.
The five surviving Territory Lords were shocked by the sudden turn of events and violently pushed the Black Ink Strength in their bodies, transforming into Black Ink Clouds that fled in different directions.
This Human Race Master was not somebody these wounded Territory Lords could defeat. If they continued fighting him, the only outcome waiting for them was complete annihilation.
“Solidify!” A shout reverberated through the void. The voice seemed to have a certain effect on the Space Principles of the region, causing the local space to become incredibly dense and heavy.
Like flies caught in sticky sap, the five Black Ink Clouds instantly froze in place. They fought and struggled against the restraints around them, moving forward at a snail’s pace as a sense of horror filled their eyes.
While urging his Space Principles, Yang Kai hurled the Azure Dragon Spear. Following an explosive Dragon Roar, the spear pierced through one of the Territory Lords who stood locked in place, causing him to explode into a cloud of blood mist. Then, the Azure Dragon Spear circled back and was caught firmly in the palm of Yang Kai’s hand.
A cracking sound filled the air as the local space shattered. Having realised how dire the situation was, the four remaining Territory Lords had desperately stimulated their power and broken free from Yang Kai’s Space Solidification Technique. Four Black Ink Clouds began escaping again, but most of them were coughing up blood as they tried to run; after all, they had to pay a high price to quickly break free from the restraints of space.
Only after escaping a hundred thousand kilometres in the blink of an eye did one of the Innate Territory Lords take the time to glance behind him. He could not see the Human Race Master anywhere, but before he could heave a sigh of relief, he abruptly noticed something strange ahead of himself and quickly glanced in that direction.
What entered his vision nearly frightened him to death as his mind went completely blank. A figure had mysteriously materialized right in front of him. This figure blocked his path and leisurely stabbed at him with a spear. The aura of death washed over him at that moment.
The Territory Lord let out a furious roar, and the Black Ink Strength in his body swept forward like the raging river. The immense strength of the spear stabbing forward stagnated for a moment; however, the stalemate lasted less than a breath before various mysterious Dao Strengths manifested along the length of the spear, causing the already dense murderous intent to explode violently. The defences formed from the Black Ink Strength that the Territory Lord desperately mobilized were as vulnerable as paper against this attack.
The spear thrust forward before swiftly being retracted as the burst of Black Ink Strength dissipated into nothingness. The Human Race Master was no longer standing in front of him, but the Territory Lord knew that the Human had simply gone to hunt down the rest of his clansmen.
The Territory Lord stood quietly in the void with a look of complete disbelief on his face. [How… How can a Human Master like that exist? I can’t believe he killed so many Innate Territory Lords like he was slaughtering chickens and butchering dogs! Just who is he!?]
His questions remained unanswered. In the last moments of his life, the Territory Lord detected violent energy fluctuations coming from somewhere not far from his current position. These fluctuations were obviously the final resistance of one of his companions. Immediately after that, his body exploded into a cloud of blood mist.
Faced with an undefeatable enemy like Yang Kai, dispersing and choosing to flee in different directions had been the best choice; unfortunately, against the strange and unpredictable Space Secret Technique, the Innate Territory Lords would not have had a happy ending even though there was nothing wrong with their tactics.
Yang Kai would have needed to pay a certain price to defeat all of them if they had chosen to rally together and fight to the death; however, he had no trouble killing them without receiving any damage if he was only hunting them down one by one.
A short while later, Yang Kai moved to his last target, only to see Ou Yang Lie fighting one of the Innate Territory Lords. Ou Yang Lie was bombarding the Innate Territory Lord indiscriminately as his World Force surging violently around him. Each attack landed squarely and drew blood, causing the Innate Territory Lord to retreat steadily with a despairing expression.
Out of the remaining five Territory Lords, Yang Kai had killed one on the spot and then hunted down another three. He had ignored the last remaining Territory Lord as the latter had fled in Ou Yang Lie’s direction. Yang Kai was certain that Ou Yang Lie would not ignore this Territory Lord and, sure enough, he was greeted with the scene of their battle as soon as he returned.
Ou Yang Lie had been holding back for too long. It had been over 1,000 years since Big Head Mi dispatched him to protect the resource-gathering team on the Black Ink Battlefield, before which he was essentially living an idle life for thousands of years on the Profound Nether Battlefield. Aside from relocating them from place to place, Ou Yang Lie had remained on guard duty all the time for the past 1,000 years. His days might have been leisurely, but such a boring life was nothing more than a different kind of torture for a combat veteran like himself who lived his entire life on the battlefield.
He had been yearning to return to the fight, and even if he died in battle in some remote corner of the void, it would still be better than living such a tedious and monotonous life. How could Ou Yang Lie possibly take his first battle after several thousand years casually? He was eager to vent all his frustrations that had accumulated over all these years of peace.
Not to mention, his opponent was an Innate Territory Lord. Ou Yang Lie had often suffered at the hands of Innate Territory Lords when the war was still raging in Profound Nether Territory. Every battle would leave him covered in wounds, some of which were even life-threatening. It was only thanks to his strong will and vitality that he survived for so long.
The boredom and depression that had accumulated for several thousand years could finally be released today!
Yang Kai did not step forward to provide support, but simply chose to watch quietly from the side. Under Yang Kai’s gaze, Ou Yang Lie pushed the Innate Territory Lord to the brink of despair until he turned to flee in panic, his black blood gushing out of his wounds.
At that moment, Ou Yang Lie summoned his Divine Manifestation. It was his way of paying tribute to his formidable opponent by unleashing the most ferocious move in his arsenal! The aura of the Innate Territory Lord weakened rapidly until it eventually faded into nothingness!
Ou Yang Lie stood in the void amidst the splattering black blood, enjoying the long-lost sensation of combat, burning murderous intent flooding from his body. After a long while, he gritted his teeth and roared, “Great!”
Sure enough, fighting against powerful enemies was what he desired the most!
Turning around, his gaze landed on Yang Kai’s figure. The fighting spirit that threatened to explode from within his body gradually subsided and he finally raised the question that had been bugging him for some time, “Junior Brother, were they already injured beforehand?”
If the Innate Territory Lord had been at his peak, Ou Yang Lie knew that he could not have killed his opponent with his own strength alone. During the battle, he noticed that the strength displayed by the Innate Territory Lord was seriously compromised, it was far weaker than the other Innate Territory Lords he had encountered in Profound Nether Territory. Thinking back to the battle record Yang Kai displayed earlier, it was only natural for him to come to this conclusion.
Yang Kai nodded solemnly, “They were all severely wounded.”
Ou Yang Lie had trouble understanding the situation, “How did they get hurt? Who hurt them? Besides… why were they hiding and recuperating in this random place?”
Yang Kai shook his head slowly. Although he had deliberated deeply over the matter, there were simply too many questions about this matter. Leaving aside who had harmed these Innate Territory Lords, the most important question was why they were hiding and recuperating here.
Innate Territory Lords generally preferred sleeping and recuperating from their injuries at the No-Return Pass. Not only were there many High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass, but Royal Lord Mo Yu was also overseeing that place; hence, the security at the No-Return Pass was incomparable to this random stretch of the void.
This incident was a good example. Ou Yang Lie had accidentally discovered the High-Rank Black Ink Nest, and Yang Kai had happened to appear by his side thanks to their agreed 100-year meeting. As a consequence, 15 Innate Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest were destroyed.
Such a loss was not small even for the Black Ink Clan. The Black Ink Clan couldn’t be so careless, especially since the affairs of the Black Ink Clan were currently being managed by Mo Na Ye, who was by no means a fool.
Even ignoring all of these strange points, why would 15 injured Innate Territory Lords squeeze themselves into a single half-hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds? This kind of arrangement was extremely detrimental to their recovery speed. The benefits they could obtain would be severely reduced when there were so many of them in one place after all.
“Has there been a schism in the Black Ink Clan? Is that Pseudo-Royal Lord called Mo Na Ye trying to establish his own force?” Ou Yang Lie suddenly wondered out loud. If that was the case, then it could just barely explain why these Innate Territory Lords had been hiding here.
Yang Kai shook his head, “Mo Na Ye… probably has no such intentions, or the ability, for that matter.”
Mo Na Ye was just a Pseudo-Royal Lord with a true Royal Lord like Mo Yu above him. Even if Mo Na Ye had the intention of establishing his own force, the other Innate Territory Lords would never obey him.
From Yang Kai’s long years of experience with the Black Ink Clan, it was undeniable that power struggles existed and some Black Ink Clansmen had their own agendas; however, the Black Ink Clan as a whole was extremely united against external forces. It was impossible for Mo Na Ye to do something stupid like setting up his own force.
What puzzled Yang Kai even more was the origin of these Innate Territory Lords. Where did they come from?
For the last 1,000 years, Yang Kai had more or less remained on guard outside the No-Return Pass because the Black Ink Clan was supposed to hand over part of their supplies to him at regular five-year intervals. Seeing as he generally had nothing more important to do, Yang Kai would generally use his spare time to monitor the movements of the Black Ink Clan at the No-Return Pass.
The only times Yang Kai left his position was when he had to meet with Ou Yang Lie and the others, and he was never gone for long. Most of the time, Yang Kai left for half a month or so. The longest he was away did not exceed one month. Once the supplies were delivered to the Supreme Headquarters, he would return immediately.
During this period, Yang Kai had never detected any Innate Territory Lords leaving the No-Return Pass and venturing deep into the Black Ink Battlefield. It was too far-fetched to believe that these Territory Lords had left the No-Return Pass during his brief absences and came here to treat their wounds. The Black Ink Clan should not have the ability to monitor his movements in the first place, so they had no way of knowing when he wasn’t lurking about.
More importantly, the Black Ink Clan had no reason to do something like this. There were many High-Rank Black Ink Nests at the No-Return Pass, so why would these 15 Territory Lords need to hatch a new High-Rank Black Ink Nest in such a remote place? Why would they need to huddle together in such a cramped space?
[Could it be that… these Territory Lords did not come from the No-Return Pass?]
Yang Kai suddenly turned around and flew towards the dead Universe World. Ou Yang Lie did not understand the reason for Yang Kai’s actions, but he hurriedly followed along. It did not take long before the two of them came to the location where the Black Ink Nest originally stood. The area had been transformed into a large crater when Yang Kai previously unleashed the full strength of his Golden Crow Casts the Sun, disintegrating the several thousand-metre-tall Black Ink Nest and blasting away the land around it.
Floating above the crater, Yang Kai’s Divine Sense poured out like the surging tide and he soon made a discovery. With a flash of his figure, he landed at a certain spot and picked something up from the ground.
Standing beside Yang Kai, Ou Yang Lie took a look over his shoulder and made a soft exclamation, “A Seventh-Order Wood Element material… The quality is pretty good… There are more here…”
While speaking, he reached out and grabbed a stone that was the size of a head. The stone glittered with a golden light, and Metal Element Energy surged from within. It was evident that the stone was not an ordinary object.
“A Sixth-Order Metal Element material…” He frowned at the sight.
Yang Kai and Ou Yang Lie found numerous cultivation materials of different Elements in the vicinity; moreover, the quality of these materials was very high. It was clear that these cultivation materials had not come from this Universe World. On the contrary, they had been scattered from the destroyed Black Ink Nest.
These materials had probably been accumulated in the Black Ink Nest. It was just that Yang Kai had arrived before these Territory Lords had the opportunity to utilise these materials. When the Black Ink Nest was destroyed, these materials were naturally scattered in all directions.
Yang Kai and Ou Yang Lie searched the vicinity at random, but in less than half an hour, they found thousands of cultivation materials of good quality and different attributes. It had to be said that these were simply the ones that could be found in plain sight and there were bound to be more which had either been depleted or buried nearby.
Standing in the void, Yang Kai held an Earth Element material in his hand with a deep frown on his face. [How did these Territory Lords accumulate so many cultivation resources? The dozen or so Innate Territory Lords hiding here to treat their wounds did not have any Black Ink Clan troops under their command. In that case, who brought them these materials?]
He then suddenly recalled an incident that had caught his attention recently. The Black Ink Clan had been increasingly excessive in their embezzlement of cultivation resources during their delivery of supplies…
In all likelihood, the No-Return Pass knew about the existence of this High-Rank Black Ink Nest and the 15 Innate Territory Lords here and diverted resources to this place, cutting into his share…
What if the No-Return Pass was not embezzling the resources? What if the number of cultivation resources in their possession was simply that limited? If they were secretly transporting large amounts of cultivation resources away from the No-Return Pass and delivering them to the Innate Territory Lords hiding outside so that they could hatch a High-Rank Black Ink Nest and treat their wounds…
Combined with the dubious origins of these Innate Territory Lords, a certain thought caused a sudden jolt of horror in Yang Kai’s heart. He immediately turned and instructed, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, join up with the others as soon as possible. Be careful to remain in hiding until I return. More importantly, don’t act rashly even if you encounter something abnormal!”
“What did you discover?” Ou Yang Lie asked. Although he had not considered the matter as deeply as Yang Kai, he could instinctively sense that something was very wrong.
Yang Kai replied, “I’m not sure yet, but I have to investigate further.”
After saying so, he vanished from sight with a ripple of Space Principles.
On the other hand, Ou Yang Lie was left with his mouth hanging open. Swallowing the words he had not been in time to speak, he turned around and went to join the other Eighth-Order veterans on guard duty.
Meanwhile, Yang Kai flew forward at a rapid pace. There was no particular target destination in his mind, he was simply carrying out a careful and sweeping search of the general area. If his guess was correct, then the Innate Territory Lords he encountered were not the only ones hiding outside the No-Return Pass. There were likely more of them in other remote places.
The Black Ink Clan was essentially under Mo Na Ye’s command at the moment, and for that reason, Yang Kai and Mo Na Ye had interacted with each other on several occasions. While Yang Kai did not dare to claim that he had a thorough understanding of Mo Na Ye, he was not completely unfamiliar with his enemy either. Therefore, he placed himself in Mo Na Ye’s shoes and considered the matter from the latter’s perspective.
If the truth was as Yang Kai speculated, then the question was simple, what arrangements would he make for the Innate Territory Lords living outside? The answer came to him quickly. He would never allow them to return to the No-Return Pass. That was because Yang Kai was always standing guard outside the No-Return Pass. If these Territory Lords headed to the No-Return Pass, their whereabouts would definitely be exposed.
These Territory Lords with unknown origins were most likely Mo Na Ye’s hidden trump card. In that case, it was only natural to keep them as deeply hidden as possible until they could all be mobilised at a critical moment. Their sudden emergence was bound to catch the Human Race by surprise.
If that was the case, they could not be placed too near the No-Return Pass! Otherwise, their existence might be exposed. After all, Mo Na Ye could not confirm that Yang Kai would remain in the periphery of the No-Return Pass at all times. If Yang Kai was struck by an impulsive whim and arbitrarily decided to wander deeper into the Black Ink Battlefield, he might accidentally discover something.
Combining his speculations with the location of the High-Rank Black Ink Nest he destroyed earlier, Yang Kai quickly found the answer. The ruins of the Royal City of the major Theatres were located quite far from the No Return Pass, far enough that even if he wanted to take a random walk, Yang Kai would not venture this far.
In reality, there was nothing wrong with Mo Na Ye’s arrangement. What he never expected was that the Human Race had a team of tens of thousands of cultivators mining for resources in the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield, much less that Yang Kai’s considerations would coincide with his own. Yang Kai had also dispatched other Humans to search for resources beyond the ruins of the Royal Cities as he assumed it was absolutely safe from the Black Ink Clan’s patrols.
Both sides had assumed that the other would not venture so deep into the Black Ink Battlefield for no reason, so they had hidden their activities in the same place. That was how Ou Yang Lie had accidentally stumbled upon the High-Rank Black Ink Nest while investigating his surroundings! One could only sigh at the irony. It was truly an occasion befitting the saying ‘the calculations of man cannot compare to those of Heaven’.
Despite Yang Kai’s conjectures, trying to find something in the vast void was like trying to find a single shell in a vast sea. He was lucky that his Divine Sense was powerful and he could use Space Principles to rapidly move from one place to another. One month later, his efforts bore fruit.
In a dead Universe World located deep in the void, Yang Kai came across a scene similar to the one he had seen previously. A High-Rank Black Ink Nest was standing there quietly. Furthermore, the High-Rank Black Ink Nest was not fully hatched to avoid any wastage of resources or Black Ink Strength. All the Black Ink Strength was condensed around the Black Ink Nest with no sign of it spreading into the surroundings.
That was part of the countermeasures to conceal the existence of the Black Ink Nest. If the Black Ink Nest had been fully hatched, it would tower many thousands of metres into the sky and the Black Ink Strength surging from it would easily cover the entire Universe World and the surrounding space, making it very easy to spot.
On the contrary, restraining its growth and emission of Black Ink Strength could provide adequate concealment. If Yang Kai had not investigated the area carefully and simply passed by without much care, he might not have discovered the Black Ink Nest.
Thanks to his previous experience, Yang Kai did not show mercy in his actions this time around. He had not been certain whether there was a Royal Lord in the previous Black Ink Nest, so he had only used Golden Crow Casts the Sun to test the waters. This time, he did not hesitate to use his Sun and Moon Divine Seal!
The Space-Time Strength emerged as a giant seal comprised of a Crescent Moon and Great Sun slammed fiercely into the Black Ink Nest. Time and Space warped greatly at the moment of impact, seemingly shredding reality itself in the surrounding region.
Once the full power of the Sun and Moon Divine Seal dissipated, the local Time and Space began to repair itself. The enormous High-Rank Black Ink Nest disintegrated like a tower of sand, and most of the Innate Territory Lords hiding within the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their wounds were instantly annihilated.
The Sun and Moon Divine Seal was Yang Kai’s strongest single trump card at the moment. Supplemented by his current cultivation at the peak of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm, even a Pseudo-Royal Lords like Mo Na Ye might not be able to defend against this attack, so what more need be said about a bunch of injured, defenceless Innate Territory Lords?
The Territory Lords who were lucky enough to survive this blow all suffered severe damage to their foundations. Awakening from their deep slumber, they looked absolutely terrified and barely had any time to understand the situation before they were massacred.
The slaughter this time around went much faster than before, with the main reason being that the power of Yang Kai’s Sun and Moon Divine Seal was much higher than his Golden Crow Casts the Sun. Many of the Territory Lords were slain before they even caught a glimpse of their attacker, while those who survived were left on the verge of death. The entire process took no more than several dozen breaths of time.
As Yang Kai retrieved the Azure Dragon Spear, there was not a single living being left in his surroundings; however, he did not show the slightest joy on his face. Instead, his expression was extremely solemn.
Compared to finding another High-Rank Black Ink Nest after just one month, he would rather have spent several years searching with no results. If that were the case, then it would have meant that his speculations were wrong and the situation faced by the Human Race would not worsen much further. Unfortunately, looking at the current situation… everything seemed to be heading in the worst direction!
To obtain results in just one month… could not be just because he had been lucky or his search efforts had been careful enough. Looking at the situation from the most obvious perspective, this meant that many Territory Lords were living outside the No-Return Pass. It was precisely because their numbers were so high that Yang Kai was easily able to find them. If he continued his search, Yang Kai was certain he would find even more Black Ink Nests filled with Territory Lords.
[We’re in big trouble!]
It turned out that Wu Kuang was unreliable after all; however, it was not entirely his fault either. Although Wu Kuang was the reincarnation of Shi, who had the qualifications to control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, his cultivation was limited. It was only natural that Wu Kuang could not control the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction as well as Cang.
Yang Kai pondered for a while before activating Space Principles and returning along the same route he came with the help of the Space Beacons that he had hidden. It had taken him a month to arrive at this spot, but it only took him a few hours to return and successfully meet up with Ou Yang Lie and the others.
Faced with the inquiring gazes of the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters, Yang Kai did not know how to explain the situation; thus, he decided not to say anything. He simply opened his mouth and declared, “Senior Brother Ou Yang, please accompany me back to the Supreme Headquarters!”
Ou Yang Lie was startled, but he quickly responded, “Good!”
Yang Kai glanced at the other veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters and spoke to them urgently, “Be sure to remain hidden as much as possible during this period. Many Territory Lords are wandering around, though most of them should be recuperating in deep slumber. As long as you remain cautious, you should be safe.”
The rest of the veteran Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters nodded in response.
They could not deny that the safest solution at the moment was to send the mining teams back to safety; however, the Human Race needed supplies to maintain the war effort. If the cultivators here were sent back now, then there would be one less channel for the Human Race to obtain supplies in the future. It might not affect them in the short term, but it would be very unfavourable to them in the long term. After all, the resources mined by this team here on the Black Ink Battlefield made up a considerable fraction of the Human Race’s consumption over the past 1,000 years.
Therefore, Yang Kai could only leave them in place despite knowing that it was dangerous. He could only hope that they were careful enough to prevent being discovered by the Innate Territory Lords; otherwise, not many of the tens of thousands of cultivators here would survive the ordeal.
After issuing these instructions, Yang Kai immediately wrapped his power around Ou Yang Lie and connected his mind to the World Tree. The whole world turned upside down, and their field of vision shifted. Under the guidance of a mysterious power, the pair arrived at the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
It was Ou Yang Lie’s first time visiting the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary, but he was in no mood to be curious about his surroundings. He only spared a quick glance at the Old Tree before him in amazement before he questioned solemnly, “Junior Brother, what happened?”
Yang Kai explained, “Something has probably gone wrong at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Many Innate Territory Lords have somehow managed to escape.”
Ou Yang Lie’s expression changed drastically, “Are you referring to the ones we encountered previously?”
Yang Kai nodded.
Ou Yang Lie finally understood the situation, “No wonder they did not head to the No-Return Pass. They were afraid of being discovered by you.”
If Yang Kai had not been lurking around the No-Return Pass, then these wounded Innate Territory Lords would not have remained drifting outside. More than a dozen Territory Lords couldn’t remain crowded in a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
“Do you have any idea how many more Territory Lords are out there?” Ou Yang Lie probed further.
Yang Kai shook his head, “It’s hard to say for certain, but their numbers are definitely low.”
Ou Yang Lie had discovered the first High-Rank Black Ink Nest 10 years ago. Considering the effort required for the Territory Lords to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, it was most likely that the problems at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction started many decades ago. Who knew how many Innate Territory Lords had escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over a period of decades?
There was a reason why Yang Kai had associated the presence of the Territory Lords with a problem at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. When Yang Kai had previously sent the Suppressing Black Ink Army to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he had personally witnessed a Royal Lord breaking through the gap opened by Wu Kuang.
Fortunately, the gap opened by Wu Kuang only allowed Territory Lords to enter and exit freely while a Royal Lord would need to pay a high price to force their way through the gap.
Consequently, the Royal Lord had been covered in wounds even though he managed to emerge from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That Royal Lord’s strength had been greatly reduced as a result, allowing Fu Guang to swiftly defeat and execute him.
The Innate Territory Lords whom they encountered previously had all been seriously injured, which was certainly thought-provoking. Their conditions were exactly the same as the Royal Lord whom Yang Kai had met in the past, allowing him to make the association.
According to Yang Kai’s speculation, the Black Ink Clan in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction were shielded from the outside world, the Innate Territory Lords were incapable of escaping from it unnoticed without paying a heavy cost. Every Territory Lord would suffer deep wounds when they escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and for that reason, the No-Return Pass had gone to special lengths to deliver cultivation resources to them, so that they could rest and recuperate until they were needed in the future!
If Ou Yang Lie had not discovered this issue by chance, the Black Ink Clan would have gathered a massive group of powerful Innate Territory Lords over hundreds or even thousands of years. These Innate Territory Lords would have been enough to alter the situation on the battlefield, and there was a high possibility that they would become a force that would eventually crush the Human Race.
“Senior Brother Ou Yang, I need you to return to the Supreme Headquarters. Contact Senior Brother Mi and inform him about the situation here so that the Human Race can come up with the appropriate countermeasures as soon as possible.”
“Understood.” Ou Yang Lie nodded solemnly, knowing the importance of the matter. The Black Ink Clan had secretly pulled this trick, so if the Human Race did not take the necessary countermeasures immediately, they would likely suffer terrible consequences.
“Also…” Yang Kai thought of something and added, “In the near future, there may be a large number of Pseudo-Royal Lords emerging from the Black Ink Clan. Tell Senior Brother Mi to take more precautions!”
Ou Yang Lie couldn’t help shivering at those words. It was only natural that he was aware of the existence of Pseudo-Royal Lords. Purely in terms of depth of cultivation, there was not much difference between a Pseudo-Royal Lord and a true Royal Lord, what was different was their control over their power. The power of a Pseudo-Royal Lord did not come from years of accumulation and cultivation, so even if they had the same power as a true Royal Lord, they could not exert it properly.
Be that as it may, a Pseudo-Royal Lord was not an opponent an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master could confront. If it was just as Yang Kai had said, and a large batch of Pseudo-Royal Lords appeared among the Black Ink Clan… What would happen to the Human Race?
Yang Kai’s warning did not come from being an alarmist. On the contrary, his warning had come from the insight that he gained from his understanding of Mo Na Ye’s thought process.
There was no denying that Mo Na Ye was a ruthless and efficient character. He had hidden many Innate Territory Lords in the depths of Black Ink Battlefield and provided them with cultivation resources to heal their wounds. At the same time, he was also prepared to sacrifice them at any moment so that they could join forces to create new Pseudo-Royal Lords.
Yang Kai had successively destroyed two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, both of which contained more than a dozen Innate Territory Lords recuperating inside. Their numbers were essentially equal, so it was obvious that the entire arrangement was not a coincidence but an intentional arrangement on the part of the Black Ink Clan.
Yang Kai had yet to figure out how the Black Ink Clan precisely created a Pseudo-Royal Lord, but according to the limited information that he possessed, it required the sacrifice of at least 12 Territory Lords and a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. The two High-Rank Black Ink Nests that he destroyed earlier met those conditions; therefore, the Black Ink Clan could implement their plans to create Pseudo-Royal Lords at a moment’s notice.
More than a dozen wounded Innate Territory Lords could easily be killed by a sneak attack from Yang Kai, but dealing with even a single Pseudo-Royal Lord would be extremely difficult. That was the difference between quantity and quality.
The Human Race needed to take precautions against such a possible future!
After sending Ou Yang Lie away, Yang Kai did not remain idle. He threw himself into the World Fruit corresponding to the Universe World that he deliberately left outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Borrowing the power of the World Tree, the space around him warped and the aura of the World washed over him before he emerged outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction in the blink of an eye.
When Yang Kai reappeared again, he immediately detected a powerful Divine Sense reaching towards him from afar. It was none other than Fu Guang, who was in charge of the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress. After confirming Yang Kai’s identity, he stopped paying attention to him and focused his vigilance on the movements of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Yang Kai nodded in that direction as a greeting before quickly concealing his aura and staring up at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Not much had changed since the last time he came to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The Black Ink Clan Army kept rushing out of the gap that Wu Kuang had opened in the past, while the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress maintained its efforts to wipe out this Black Ink Clan Army. Several Black Ink Clansmen would successfully emerge from the gap from time to time, only for the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters of the Suppressing Black Ink Army to step forward to confront them.
The battle was extremely intense, but be that as it may, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was capable of handling it. They barely even suffered any casualties over the years, with the only real loss being the heavy consumption of cultivation resources.
Yang Kai was starting to understand the whole situation now.
Previously, this whole scenario had confused him; after all, the Black Ink Clan knew the consequences of forcing their way through the opening in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. The only consequence waiting for them was death, but if that was the case, why would they continue attacking without fear?
The Black Ink Clan might have held onto the hope of escaping the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for the first few months, or even years; however, 1,000 years had passed yet no progress had been made. How could the Black Ink Clan fail to see the situation clearly after so many years of failure? No matter how foolish the Black Ink Clan might be, they must have been able to understand how much the Human Race had ground down their strength. Even so, the Black Ink Clan had stubbornly chosen to continue their confrontation with the Suppressing Black Ink Army…
Now, it was apparent that they were not stupid, but instead had other plans! The battle at the gap was nothing more than a distraction!
Thanks to the intense battle at the opening, they not only drew the attention of the Suppressing Black Ink Army, but also Fu Guang. Even Wu Kuang, who controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, was preoccupied with the battle. It was something that Yang Kai had noticed during one of his previous times here. All of Wu Kuang’s energy and focus had been devoted to maintaining control over the opening, so much so that he did not even have the time or mood to speak with Yang Kai.
In this way, the Black Ink Clan had secretly opened a passage for Innate Territory Lords to escape at a location where Fu Guang and Wu Kuang would not notice. Fortunately, even though this passage existed, the Territory Lords still had to pay a huge price to escape the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction by force!
[Where is it?] Yang Kai swept his gaze around, his thoughts spinning wildly in his head…
The person the Black Ink Clan was most concerned about here was probably Wu Kuang as he was the one who controlled the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Their efforts over the years would all be in vain once Wu Kuang noticed the slightest abnormality; therefore, the spot they chose to make a second opening had to be somewhere Wu Kuang would not investigate for no reason.
Yang Kai immediately turned and looked in the exact opposite direction of the gap. Under the urging of Space Principles, Yang Kai’s figure seemed to completely melt into the Void.
Inside the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress, Fu Guang frowned slightly. Yang Kai had not only arrived silently but also deliberately concealed both his aura and his whereabouts. Those were clear signs that something was not right. Although he did not know the specifics of Yang Kai’s actions, he instinctively sensed that something major must have happened.
The Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction covered an extremely large area. It was the Grand Restriction that the 10 Martial Ancestors had joined forces to create and the land where Mo came into existence. Even its true body had been sealed within this place. Furthermore, Mo had produced countless Black Ink Clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. One could only imagine the vastness of the land.
With it being so vast, it was indeed difficult for Wu Kuang to conduct comprehensive monitoring when most of his attention had to be focused on a single spot. What’s more, he mentioned something 1,000 years ago. The Grand Restriction was too ancient, so flaws had naturally developed in it.
When Wu Kuang took the initiative to open the gap, it probably caused tremors throughout the entire Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which the Black Ink Clan probably found a way to exploit.
Half a month later, Yang Kai had silently swept about half of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Unfortunately, he did not discover any abnormalities during his comprehensive search. He did not relax his guard though, for if the anomaly could be found so easily, Wu Kuang would not have been kept in the dark for so long.
Suppressing his impatience, Yang Kai wandered back and forth without aim. A few more days passed before he suddenly detected a strange energy fluctuation coming from a certain spot in the void.
Since he happened to be in the vicinity at the time, he hastily rushed over to investigate the situation. From what Yang Kai could see, there seemed to be a black lump that wriggled vigorously like a living creature in the deep and endless darkness.
The black lump was gradually squeezing its way out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. It did not take long before the black lump broke free. When the pitch-black darkness melted away, a figure was revealed, one of an Innate Territory Lord.
The Innate Territory Lord immediately concealed his aura as much as possible. As he had just escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, his wounds were severe and he did not dare to stay for long, quickly turning in a certain direction to flee.
Yang Kai worked hard to suppress his killing intent. After the Territory Lord gained some distance, he sent a Divine Sense message to Wu Kuang before silently stalking his prey.
Half a day later, the Territory Lord stopped somewhere in the void. His Divine Sense surged as though communicating with someone, then he swiftly travelled in a certain direction. He arrived at an asteroid after some time, where six other Territory Lords had gathered together, each one of them looking extremely weak and tired.
When the Territory Lord arrived at the meeting spot, he finally burst out into happy laughter, “I’m finally out!”
Anybody would be ecstatic to escape from the prison they had been confined to since the beginning of their life. Likewise, the other Territory Lords could not hide their joy either, smiling as they exchanged a few happy words.
Nevertheless, they soon focused their attention, with one of the Territory Lords saying, “We need to wait for a few more of us to come out. Once 15 have gathered here, we will set off for our destination.”
The Territory Lord who arrived last immediately became a little impatient, “Why do we have to wait until 15 of us have gathered here? Won’t we have to wait for a long time, then?”
The Territory Lord who spoke earlier answered, “That’s what the No-Return Pass has arranged for us. We simply need to follow our orders.”
The Territory Lord who came last couldn’t help feeling frustrated, but there was nothing he could do, so he just complained bitterly, “There is neither a Black Ink Nest nor Black Ink Strength here, so we are unable to treat our wounds. Don’t you think just waiting here without doing anything is a waste?”
“The No-Return Pass has already arranged everything for us, so we only need to arrive at the designated place on time. At that point, we will receive everything we could possibly need.”
“I guess that’s our only option!” He sighed heavily.
“I’m afraid you won’t be receiving anything ever again!” A deep voice suddenly sounded behind them. The Territory Lords were stunned for a moment before they all stood up and looked in the direction the voice came from. However, all that entered their vision was a torrential storm of spear shadows.
If it was said that Yang Kai had expended some effort to destroy the Innate Territory Lords hidden within the two High-Rank Black Ink Nests, then slaughtering the Territory Lords gathered here was practically effortless.
The Territory Lords inside the Black Ink Nests had been recuperating for some time, so they had recovered some of their strength. In comparison, these Territory Lords had just escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and each one of them had severely damaged their foundations, so the strength they could exert was less than 30% of their maximum.
Besides, there were only seven Territory Lords here.
After the storm of spear shadows subsided, four out of the seven Territory Lords died on the spot. Among the remaining three Territory Lords, one retaliated in fury while the others immediately chose to flee. Be that as it may, their efforts were futile and it was not long before the auras of all seven Territory Lords were completely annihilated.
Yang Kai frowned and picked up an object from the corpse of a dead Territory Lord. It was a Black Ink Nest the size of a palm, which seemed like it had just been conceived but not yet hatched. If his guess was correct, it was most likely a High-Rank Black Ink Nest.
If everything had gone smoothly, these Territory Lords would have brought this High-Rank Black Ink Nest to a hidden location where they would receive a batch of resources from the No-Return Pass to hatch the Black Ink Nest. After that, they would enter the Black Ink Nest to recuperate from their injuries in deep slumber.
Given the network formed between Black Ink Nests, Yang Kai had the vague suspicion that these Territory Lords could use the Black Ink Nest in their possession to communicate with the No-Return Pass directly.
Holding the miniature Black Ink Nest in the palm of his hand, Yang Kai debated for a long time, but in the end, he abandoned the idea of using it to spy on the Black Ink Clan’s communications.
Turning around, he headed towards the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction instead. He did not head towards the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress but the hole in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and then he concealed himself in the void.
After communicating with Wu Kuang via Divine Sense, he learned that there had been no abnormalities in this area during this period. Thus, Yang Kai settled in and quietly laid in ambush. The same scene as the one he witnessed before finally occurred again 10 days later.
A small dark mass wriggled cautiously in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, employing unknown means to forcibly squeeze its way out. As the darkness burst and dissipated, the figure of an Innate Territory Lord was revealed. The Innate Territory Lord did not linger for long and quickly travelled in the same direction as the Territory Lord from before.
Yang Kai silently followed. Under normal circumstances, he would not have been able to avoid the perception of an Innate Territory Lord from such a close range, especially when the Innate Territory Lord was being extremely vigilant of his surroundings. It was just that this Territory Lord was suffering from such severe wounds that even his senses had become blurry.
Yang Kai followed the Innate Territory Lord in secret until they were far enough from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction for it to be impossible for someone to notice them. Only then did he make his move and slaughtered the Innate Territory Lord on the spot.
The Innate Territory Lord was most likely trying to meet up with the previous seven Innate Territory Lords; unfortunately for him, those seven Innate Territory Lords had already been annihilated by Yang Kai, so how could he find them?
In this way, Yang Kai consecutively slaughtered five Territory Lords before he finally stopped two months later.
The situation was dire indeed. There was a reason why Yang Kai did not ask Wu Kuang to repair the gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction immediately and instead chose to monitor the situation in secret. He had wanted to learn how frequently the Territory Lords were escaping from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
The results he obtained were both shocking and horrifying! On average, there were two to three Innate Territory Lords escaping per month. If five Innate Territory Lords escaped every two months, then that would mean as many as 30 of them escaped in a year!
According to Yang Kai’s previous estimate, the problem at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction probably started several dozen years ago. A conservative estimate would be 30 years ago. If 30 Innate Territory Lords escaped in a year, that would mean that nearly 1,000 Innate Territory Lords had escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction over the past 30 years. 1,000 Territory Lords was an astounding number, what more if they were all Innate Territory Lords.
Yang Kai felt his heart grow heavy at the realization that his previous speculations were correct. The reason he found the second hidden High-Rank Black Ink Nest so easily was not because he was lucky, but because the Black Ink Clan had many other secret Black Ink Nests scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield.
“It’s a minor issue, so repairing it won’t be difficult. I will also be more careful in the future.” Wu Kuang responded via Divine Sense, but his tone sounded slightly gloomy; after all, nobody would be happy to learn that the Black Ink Clan had been playing tricks right under their nose.
When Wu Kuang claimed that it was a minor issue, he was not referring to the Innate Territory Lords who escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, only the weak spot that the Black Ink Clan had been exploiting. It was his failure to monitor that particular location that allowed the Black Ink Clan to take advantage of his negligence. Now that he discovered the issue, he only needed to make some slight adjustments to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction to repair the weakness.
“Please do, if something like this happens again, the Human Race will be doomed,” Yang Kai warned. Although the current situation was not optimistic, the Black Ink Clan did not hold an absolute advantage in the war yet. Yang Kai couldn’t help feeling relieved that Ou Yang Lie had accidentally stumbled upon that High-Rank Black Ink Nest; otherwise, the Human Race would be at risk of extinction if the Black Ink Clan had successfully continued their plans for a few hundred years.
Wu Kuang seemed embarrassed, but did not say anything. He was clearly devoting himself to repairing the flaw in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, and it really did not take much effort for him to patch the weak spot.
A moment later, the Human Race Masters in charge of monitoring the movement of the Black Ink Clan on the battlefield from the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress exclaimed in astonishment as though discovering something strange.
The sounds of battle that had rung out incessantly for the past 1,000 years were showing gradual signs of subsiding. Even the Innate Territory Lords, who were fighting the Suppressing Black Ink Army Masters on the battlefield after escaping from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, were starting to retreat and return to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction via the gap.
Half a day later, the Suppressing Black Ink Army Masters stood on the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress and stared blankly at the empty void in front of them.
The battlefield that had been plagued with bloodshed for the past 1,000 years was finally ushering in a rare moment of peace. No other Black Ink Clansmen were charging out from the gap, only countless severed limbs and bits of hashed meat leftover from dead Black Ink Clansmen, along with dense Black Ink Clouds that seemed like they would never dissipate.
Cheers started from a certain location and soon spread throughout the Suppressing Black Ink Fortress like a tidal wave. The soldiers rejoiced, their shouts of ‘Victory!’ ringing out across the void. The volume of their cheers nearly threatened to turn the entire universe upside-down.
The soldiers at the lower ranks seemed to believe that they finally won the battle after 1,000 years. They were certain that the Black Ink Clan in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had realised the strength of the Human Race Army and no longer dared to rear their heads again so easily.
On the other hand, the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Masters frowned deeply. They initially took the initiative to open a gap in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction so that they could lure the Black Ink Clan into attacking. Their actions were a measure to reduce the pressure on the next generation; therefore, the sudden withdrawal of the Black Ink Clan could not be considered a good thing.
Nevertheless, the Suppressing Black Ink Army was indeed in need of some rest after enduring 1,000 years of constant battle. The current situation was an acceptable outcome for them.
Only Yang Kai, who was hiding in the shadows, secretly heaved a sigh of relief. The weak spot in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction that the Black Ink Clan found had been repaired by Wu Kuang. The Black Ink Clan no longer had a reason to sacrifice themselves on the battlefield to draw Wu Kuang’s attention, so they naturally stopped dispatching their soldiers to the battlefield.
Taking into consideration that Wu Kuang had repaired the weak spot in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and Yang Kai had slaughtered so many Innate Territory Lords recently, there was a high possibility that their actions had already alerted the enemy. Mo Na Ye was not such an easy opponent after all.
[I have to move faster!]
After communicating with Fu Guang and Wu Kuang via Divine Sense transmission, Yang Kai connected his mind to the World Tree once more and returned to the Star Boundary via the Grand Ancient Ruins Boundary.
From there, Yang Kai did not pause for a single moment. Exiting High Heaven Territory, he detoured through the Great Territory where the Supreme Headquarters was located and snuck past a battlefield in a certain Great Territory. Then, he travelled directly in the direction of Black Territory. When he arrived at Black Territory, he passed through a secret Void Corridor and finally arrived at the Blue Sky Theatre.
No matter how fast Yang Kai was though, this journey took a whole month despite him pushing his Space Principles to the extreme. As soon as he arrived on the Black Ink Battlefield, he made some arrangements before beginning a search for traces of the hidden High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
It was a fact that many Innate Territory Lords had escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was not a reality that could be changed. Furthermore, the Black Ink Clan had tried to hide these Territory Lords so that they could heal peacefully.
At this point, Yang Kai could only attempt to locate and annihilate these Territory Lords before the Black Ink Clan could take preventive measures! While he would not be able to annihilate many with his strength alone, he could only do his utmost best to kill as many of them as possible.
Thanks to his past two experiences, Yang Kai had gotten better at searching for the High-Rank Black Ink Nests that were hidden in the depths of the void. His search was no longer as aimless as before.
Another month later, Mo Na Ye stood inside the Main Hall at the No-Return Pass and studied the miniature Black Ink Nest in front of him with a deep scowl. The Black Ink Nest came from Mo Yu and was something the Royal Lord had personally given to him so that he could communicate with the clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
For some reason, he had been having trouble establishing contact with the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction since about two months ago. He had not paid much attention to the issue at the beginning as it was not the first time such difficulties occurred.
There were many occasions when he had trouble transmitting or receiving information effectively. Most of the time, he couldn’t even connect to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. That was why he had not thought much about the issue and had just assumed that it was nothing more than a normal phenomenon.
However, two whole months had passed since he last received any message from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, which was beginning to arouse his suspicions.
Had something gone wrong on the other side?
That was not impossible.
Those in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been very careful up until now to ensure that the Human Masters guarding the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction did not notice anything unusual. However, there was always a risk of exposure with their clansmen sneaking out at regular intervals. The hole in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was bound to be repaired once discovered, in which case, the Territory Lords would never succeed in sneaking out again.
Unable to be certain, Mo Na Ye did not try to contact the clansmen in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction again. On the contrary, he tried to contact the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped from the Grand Restriction.
According to his instructions, the Territory Lords who snuck out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction would form groups of 14 or 15, with one among them being in charge of carrying a High-Rank Black Ink Nest. Once they had gathered enough people, they would set off together and head towards the location Mo Na Ye designated to receive the cultivation resources from the No-Return Pass. After that, they would search for a suitable hiding spot to hatch their Black Ink Nest so that they could enter it and begin healing.
Over the past several dozen years, everything had been going smoothly. As many as 60 batches of hidden Territory Lords had now scattered across the Black Ink Battlefield. An estimation of the time indicated that the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction should have completed their numbers and set off.
Mo Na Ye focused his mind on the Black Ink Nest before him, but the strange space inside of its consciousness was empty, with not a single figure in sight. Mo Na Ye was the only person here, and as his Divine Sense surged, the space vibrated slightly.
Although the connection between Black Ink Nests was extremely strong, they could not connect with a specific Black Ink Nest directly. If Mo Na Ye wanted to contact a specific group of Territory Lords, then he could only send out a general message and wait for them to respond.
At the same time, Yang Kai stood in the void as murderous intent surged around him. The spear in his hand contained many Dao Strengths interweaving with each other. Numerous Innate Territory Lords had died at his hands, and the High-Rank Black Ink Nest where the Territory Lords were hiding had been destroyed earlier.
There were 15 Territory Lords as usual, the number not any different from the two batches he annihilated previously. This only made him increasingly certain that Mo Na Ye intended to use these Territory Lords to create Pseudo-Royal Lords. Unfortunately for Mo Na Ye, Yang Kai had eliminated three of these Nests before the plan could be implemented.
It was not an intense battle. Under the premise that Yang Kai had launched a sneak attack, these wounded Innate Territory Lords had almost no power to resist, and when the dust settled, Black Ink Strength scattered wildly across the void. There was not a single living creature around him as he calmed the surging World Force in his body, then he reached into his pocket and took out the small Black Ink Nest that he obtained previously. The Black Ink Nest was trembling slightly as if conveying some sort of message!
This Black Ink Nest had been brought out from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction by the Black Ink Clan. Its first purpose was to contact the No-Return Pass, and the second was to hatch into a place where the Territory Lords could rest and treat their wounds after they received the necessary cultivation resources. Seeing as the Black Ink Nest was vibrating, the No-Return Pass must be trying to make contact.
Yang Kai was tempted to attempt communication in order to gain enemy intelligence; however, he decided to give up on the idea after he weighed the risks. What if the person trying to make contact from the No-Return Pass was Mo Na Ye himself? It would be very difficult for him to fool Mo Na Ye; after all, he had to immerse his consciousness into the Black Ink Nest to communicate through the Black Ink Nest. With Mo Na Ye’s caution, Yang Kai would not be able to hide the truth from him if they were to confront each other directly.
In the end, Yang Kai could only choose to ignore the Black Ink Nest. His choice might arouse Mo Na Ye’s suspicions, but the truth would not be exposed immediately; therefore, this was the best way to buy a little more time.
Yang Kai put the Black Ink Nest away and resumed his search for the Black Ink Nests hidden by the Black Ink Clan. Time was running out, and the days when he could effortlessly massacre Territory Lords were dwindling rapidly.
Back at the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye waited for four whole hours but did not receive a response, his expression darkening as time passed. He had the vague feeling that their movements at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been discovered.
If that was the case, then the last batch of Territory Lords who escaped the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had probably suffered at the hands of the Human Race Masters. Likewise, the Black Ink Nest in their possession had probably fallen into the hands of the Humans, which would explain why there was no response from them.
He did not believe that those Territory Lords could survive as the price they had to pay to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction was too high. If the Humans prepared themselves in advance, then killing heavily wounded Territory Lords would not take much effort.
Although Mo Na Ye had anticipated the current situation, he couldn’t help feeling disappointed that the day had arrived so quickly. He had hoped that many more Territory Lords would be able to sneak out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction before they were exposed.
At that moment, Yang Kai abruptly came to mind. If the matter at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed, then the entire Human Race would probably soon be aware of everything, and it would not be long before Yang Kai learned about this.
[No… He might already know about this matter. He has always been capable of travelling back and forth without any trace thanks to his mastery over the Dao of Space. Who knows whether he has recently been to the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction?]
Yang Kai was cunning and highly intelligent. If he learned about the matter at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, he would most likely realise that Mo Na Ye was the secret mastermind behind the scenes.
Mo Na Ye’s expression stiffened before he immediately took out the communication bead that could be used to contact Yang Kai and tentatively sent a message through it, “Brother Yang, are you there?”
Throughout his entire life, Mo Na Ye had never known how torturous waiting could be. He simply wanted to use this method to determine Yang Kai’s approximate distance. As for Yang Kai’s exact position, it was impossible to determine.
If his message could not be delivered, then it would mean that there was a vast distance between them and it would also indicate that Yang Kai was not outside the No-Return Pass. Seeing as Yang Kai had always remained nearby these past 1,000 years, it would be a sure sign that something was wrong if he was not here now.
On the other hand, if the message was successfully delivered, then everything was still alright. It meant that Yang Kai remained hidden outside the No-Return Pass, monitoring the movements here. That was the outcome that Mo Na Ye was hoping to see the most.
Therefore, Mo Na Ye was happy to see the communication bead in his palm vibrate slightly. That was an indicator that the message had been transmitted to the other party. In other words, it meant that Yang Kai was not too far from him.
However, there was no response from the other party. Mo Na Ye waited for a long time, but in the end, he could not stand the wait and sent out another message.
Approximately 12 million kilometres away from the No-Return Pass, a young man sat curled up inside a large Universe Fragment. He was trying his hardest to conceal his aura so that he did not expose himself in the slightest; furthermore, he held a small communication bead tightly in his hand. His attention was focused to the extreme.
In terms of cultivation, he was only at the peak of the Emperor Realm. He had condensed his Dao Seal and could advance to the Open Heaven Realm at any time. Not to mention, the cultivation resources used to condense his Dao Seal were of the Sixth Order. In other words, he was a candidate who could advance directly into the Sixth-Order Open Heaven Realm.
At this moment, the communication bead in his hand was vibrating slightly. He was astonished for a moment, but he quickly realised that the situation described by the Dao Lord was happening. Somebody was trying to contact the Dao Lord!
The young man, known as Sun Zhao, couldn’t help recalling the incident that had taken place one month ago.
At the time, he had been cultivating in retreat inside the Void Dao Temple when he suddenly noticed something strange. By the time he opened his eyes, he found himself standing in this spot. More importantly, the appearance of the person standing before him made a wave of excitement flood his entire being.
It was none other than the Dao Lord himself! He only had time to express his admiration and respect for the Dao Lord before he received an important task! He was to conceal his aura, remain hidden at this spot, and watch over the communication bead!
The Dao Lord’s instructions were given in an incredibly grave manner. He claimed that this matter was not only very important, but also related to the survival of the Human Race. Then, he instructed Sun Zhao to remain hidden without exposing his whereabouts.
The pressure was overwhelming to Sun Zhao. He was just an Emperor Realm Master from the Void Dao Temple who had yet to advance to the Open Heaven Realm. How could he suddenly bear the heavy responsibility of performing a task related to the survival of the Human Race out of nowhere? Nevertheless, he was personally given this mission by the Dao Lord himself, so how could he dare to be careless? He immediately nodded and agreed to the task.
A month had passed since then. Now that the communication bead was vibrating lightly in his hand, he desperately thought back to the Dao Lord’s instructions.
“If nobody tries to contact me, then just do nothing. If somebody tries to contact me, ignore the message during the first and second attempts. Wait until the third time before you respond!”
“How should this disciple answer? Also, who is the person sending the messages?” he asked humbly.
“How you answer is up to your discretion. Just adapt to the circumstances. As for the person sending the messages, it’s just a nobody who is not worthy of notice.”
Sun Zhao was pensive but still nodded, “This disciple understands.”
Gathering his wandering thoughts, Sun Zhao checked the message in the communication bead. He glanced at the words ‘Brother Yang, are you there?’ and snorted lightly. [Just who does this unworthy person think he is!? How dare he call the Dao Lord ‘Brother’? He sure does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!]
By the Dao Lord’s instructions, he ignored the message!
A short while later, another message was delivered to the communication bead, “Brother Yang, I have something to discuss with you!”
[How dare he call the Dao Lord ‘Brother’ again!? What a shameless person!] Despite insulting the other party in his heart, Sun Zhao strictly followed Yang Kai’s instructions and ignored the message. He had a vague feeling in his heart that the person sending these messages was a shameless individual. [No wonder the Dao Lord is unwilling to speak to him.]
Soon, the third message came, “Brother Yang, it’s urgent! Please respond!”
Once was fine, twice was acceptable, but thrice was the limit. This person had been harassing the Dao Lord over and over again. It was simply unbearable.
Sun Zhao was tempted to scold and reprimand the other party, and the urge nearly overwhelmed him, but he hesitated to act. Although the Dao Lord had asked him to respond accordingly, he was worried that responding rashly would discredit the Dao Lord’s reputation instead. That was not what a disciple should do.
[I must put myself in the Dao Lord’s shoes. If an unworthy person that I don’t like keeps harassing me, how would I reply…]
The perfect idea soon came to him.
Inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye had no idea why Yang Kai was ignoring him. Although he could be certain that Yang Kai’s communication bead was near the No-Return Pass, he could not determine whether Yang Kai himself was there. There was no saying whether Yang Kai had randomly placed the communication bead somewhere nearby to create the illusion that he was constantly monitoring the situation from the outside.
That was why Mo Na Ye had persistently sent three messages in a row just to confirm that there was indeed somebody on the other end of the communication bead. Fortunately, his hard work paid off.
After three inquiries, the communication bead in his hand finally vibrated in response. He quickly checked the message with a slight frown. There were only two sentences in the communication bead; moreover, the message was simple and clear. It was truly in line with Yang Kai’s straightforward style, “In retreat. Do not disturb!”
[I can’t believe he is cultivating in retreat outside of the No-Return Pass! Does he have no respect for the Black Ink Clan at all!?]
Although the response annoyed Mo Na Ye, he was satisfied to confirm that Yang Kai remained outside the No-Return Pass and not too far away either. He had been worried that Yang Kai might have ventured deep into the Black Ink Battlefield to investigate his secret plans. If that were the case, then the heavily wounded Territory Lords would not be able to defend themselves from this killing star.
Now that most of his worries had been laid to rest, Mo Na Ye couldn’t help lamenting that the secret at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed. Nevertheless, he had to develop countermeasures to protect the Territory Lords in advance; after all, there was an elite Human Race Army and the Divine Dragon, Fu Guan, stationed outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
Not to mention, even if Yang Kai was ignorant about the situation now, it would only be a matter of time before he found out. Once Yang Kai learned about these plans the various arrangements that Mo Na Ye prepared outside would no longer be sufficient.
[I need to figure out a way to lure Yang Kai away so that the Territory Lords living outside can sneak over to the No-Return Pass.]
Mo Na Ye had not allowed the Territory Lords into the No-Return Pass for fear that Yang Kai would discover their presence, which would in turn affect the situation at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Now that the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction plot was exposed, he had to figure out a solution to protect the Territory Lords who had already snuck out. Mo Na Ye had to settle this matter as soon as possible. It could not be delayed any further.
Despite pondering deeply, he could not come up with a good solution. The greatest issue was that the Black Ink Clan could not grasp Yang Kai’s movements at all. It was impossible for Yang Kai to constantly remain outside the No-Return Pass throughout the past 1,000 years; however, the Black Ink Clan remained clueless concerning his movements. They did not know when he would leave or when he would return.
[There might be a chance after each delivery of resources…] After all, there was no doubt that Yang Kai demanded the cultivation resources from the Black Ink Clan for the sake of the Human Race.
While mulling over these matters, Mo Na Ye suddenly froze up. He vaguely sensed that he had overlooked an important point. Standing stiff in place, he urged the wheels in his head to spin faster. It did not take long before sweat beaded his forehead! He finally realised what he had overlooked previously! He had been considering matters from a positive perspective, but he had forgotten that not everything would go as he wished!
It was highly likely that what happened at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction had been exposed and the last batch of Territory Lords to escape were dead. That was why he lost communication with the clansmen inside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction and why he could not contact the last batch of Territory Lords either.
All his considerations earlier had been based on the assumption that Yang Kai remained ignorant about the matters at the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, [But, what if Yang Kai knew all along…]
It was impossible to confirm that Yang Kai was in the vicinity with just the communication bead and the simple message. Yang Kai could have asked somebody else to disguise themselves as him and respond to the messages on his behalf; after all, the messages in the communication bead did not contain any trace of his aura. There were no means to prove a person’s identity through these messages.
The sweat beading on Mo Na Ye’s forehead increased significantly. At this rate, things could be heading in the worst possible direction. Therefore, he did not dare to hesitate. Taking out the small Black Ink Nest again, he immersed his consciousness into the Black Ink Nest Space and shook it far more violently than before! He had to contact the sleeping Territory Lords and confirm their safety!
The main reason Mo Na Ye had not taken action previously was so that he did not interfere with the healing process of the Territory Lords; however, interrupting their healing was nothing compared to the dangers of the current situation.
The Black Ink Nest Space continued to vibrate, sending urgent signals to the outside world. Consequently, the Territory Lords who were sleeping and healing inside the incompletely hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield were startled awake.
It did not take long before figures began to appear in the Black Ink Nest Space, each one representing one of the High-Rank Black Ink Nests. Although these Territory Lords who had been disturbed from their healing process were not in a good mood, they did not dare to express their dissatisfaction in front of a Pseudo-Royal Lord like Mo Na Ye. Hence, they simply stood there respectfully and waited quietly.
Mo Na Ye kept counting the number of consciousnesses who arrived until no other figures appeared. In the end, though, there were four fewer presences than there should have been!
Mo Na Ye’s complexion went pale as he realized that no matter how cautious he had been, he was still one step behind the enemy. The four missing figures in the Black Ink Nest Space meant that four High-Rank Black Ink Nests had been destroyed! Needless to say, the Territory Lords treating their wounds inside those High-Rank Black Ink Nests were bound to have suffered tragic fates.
That was nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords! A massive loss!
Calculating the position and distance between the four High-Rank Black Ink Nests, Mo Na Ye immediately concluded that Yang Kai was the assailant as only he could cross the space between those four High-Rank Black Ink Nests in such a short time or destroy the Black Ink Nests and slaughter those Territory Lords with such efficiency!
[The message transmitted to the communication bead earlier was definitely not sent by Yang Kai himself! That bastard tricked me! He considered everything and even took countermeasures based on how I would react! Hateful!]
“Sir, did something happen?” One of the Innate Territory Lords raised the question after noticing the strange expression on Mo Na Ye’s face.
Mo Na Ye quickly composed himself and replied, “You don’t need to hide anymore. Head to the No-Return Pass as quickly as possible. We will make arrangements to receive you. If you meet a Human Master along the way… Do not fight him. He is very strong and possesses numerous dangerous methods. He is not somebody you can defeat.”
The expressions of the Territory Lords stiffened in shock at those words. Just what kind of Human Race Master could frighten a Pseudo-Royal Lord so badly?
Another Innate Territory Lord thus asked, “Sir, what should we do if we encounter this person?”
Mo Na Ye answered decisively, “Scatter and flee so that as many of you can escape as possible.”
“What about the Black Ink Nests?” Yet another Territory Lord inquired.
If they were going to escape, then it was only natural for them to abandon the Black Ink Nests. Unfortunately, High-Rank Black Ink Nests were extremely important and valuable to the Black Ink Clan. They were also the highest quality Black Ink Nests produced directly in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Every High-Rank Black Ink Nest contained a trace of the Supreme One’s Source Strength. Even Mo Na Ye could not bring himself to abandon them so easily.
After a moment of deep contemplation, Mo Na Ye made his decision, “Bring the Black Ink Nests with you, but if the situation turns disadvantageous, abandon them immediately! Now go!”
Mo Na Ye gave a wave of his hand, and the Territory Lords departed. It did not take long before numerous Territory Lords flew out from the High-Rank Black Ink Nests scattered across the depths of the Black Ink Battlefield. With a surge of Black Ink Strength, they retrieved the Black Ink Nests before they began rushing towards the No-Return Pass from all directions.
Inside the No-Return Pass, Mo Na Ye personally took action and headed out to meet the Territory Lords. Many powerful Innate Territory Lords also formed Four Symbols and Five Elements Formations as they began spreading out.
Almost all of the Territory Lords in the No-Return Pass were dispatched, leaving only Royal Lord Mo Yu and Pseudo-Royal Lord Meng Que, with a dozen or so Territory Lords in charge of arranging and activating the Four Gates Eight Palaces Great Pagoda Array at any moment just in case Yang Kai decided to attack.
Inside a certain Universe Fragment, the hidden Sun Zhao could not help trembling in fear as he detected many overwhelming auras approaching from afar and then speeding into the distance quickly. Instinctively, he knew that the movements of these Masters were related to the Dao Lord. Although he wanted to send a message to warn the Dao Lord, he had neither the power nor the means to take such action. The only thing he could do was pray for the Dao Lord’s safety in secret.
Deep in the Black Ink Battlefield, Yang Kai stood in the middle of some ruins. He had just discovered yet another High-Rank Black Ink Nest and annihilated all the Territory Lords hidden within.
This was the second High-Rank Black Ink Nest that he destroyed since he returned from the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction. Combined with the previous two Black Ink Nests, a total of four had been destroyed by him. He had slaughtered nearly 60 Innate Territory Lords by this point.
Be that as it may, Yang Kai did not show the slightest hint of joy. His achievements only revealed just how many of the Black Ink Clan’s hidden forces were scattered around the Black Ink Battlefield. He had to find as many hidden Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests as he could before the No-Return Pass realised what was happening and took countermeasures.
Taking out the small Black Ink Nest that he obtained outside the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction, Yang Kai frowned slightly. The small Black Ink Nest had started to vibrate once more when he was killing the Territory Lords earlier; furthermore, the vibrations were much stronger than previously.
Yang Kai couldn’t help wondering what the Black Ink Clan was trying to accomplish. The Black Ink Nest had fallen silent by now, but he did not dare to pour his Divine Sense into it to investigate, lest he expose himself.
Turning to look in the direction of the No-Return Pass, Yang Kai wondered whether that brat called Sun Zhao was safe. The urgency of the situation and the lack of suitable helpers left Yang Kai with no other options at the time. He was forced to randomly choose a disciple from the Void Dao Temple to hide outside the No-Return Pass and hold the communication bead on his behalf. In this way, he could create the illusion that he was still there to confuse Mo Na Ye and buy himself some more time.
Putting the miniature Black Ink Nest away, Yang Kai embarked on his bloody journey to search for Black Ink Nests once more. Time was running out, so he continuously activated Space Principles, causing his figure to flicker across the void erratically. Thanks to his previous experiences, Yang Kai had gained some understanding regarding where Mo Na Ye had positioned these High-Rank Black Ink Nests.
Several days later, Yang Kai was passing by a dead Universe World when he suddenly turned around and landed at a certain spot, looking around with a slight frown as soon as he touched the ground. There were strong traces of the Black Ink Strength remaining in this area, which was rather abnormal. Moreover, traces were indicating that something had once been attached to the ground. Judging by the size, the object was not small.
[A Black Ink Nest!] It would seem that there used to be a High-Rank Black Ink Nest here; however, the Black Ink Clan had used various means to remove it. That was why there were hints of the Black Ink Strength lingering in the area and traces of something being attached here.
Recalling how the small Black Ink Nest he obtained previously had vibrated strongly, Yang Kai couldn’t help cursing. [Mo Na Ye, that bastard! Does he have a dog’s nose? How does he have such a keen sense of smell!? I’ve only destroyed four Black Ink Nests so far! How did he notice so quickly?]
There was no way the Black Ink Nest positioned here would be removed for no reason, not unless there was an order from the higher-ups of the Black Ink Clan. Seeing as Mo Na Ye was currently in charge of all the Black Ink Clan’s affairs, the order could only have come from him.
It would seem that Yang Kai’s precautions were not enough to fool Mo Na Ye. There was no room for carelessness in a battle of wits against an enemy like Mo Na Ye. If even the slightest flaw existed, the other party would eventually deduce the truth from the various insignificant clues. Nevertheless, Yang Kai did not expect this moment to arrive so soon even though he had mentally prepared himself for this situation when Wu Kuang repaired the flaw in the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction.
After a brief pause, Yang Kai soared into the sky and rushed in the direction of the No-Return Pass.
The Territory Lords who escaped out of the Primordial Heavens Source Grand Restriction previously had hidden themselves outside the No-Return Pass under Mo Na Ye’s orders. The reason for this was simple; Mo Na Ye did not wish for their presence to be exposed because he planned on catching the Human Race by surprise at a critical moment in the war. Now that these Territory Lords’ presence had been exposed though, it was only natural for Mo Na Ye to prioritise their safety. From his point of view, the best solution to the current situation was for them to head towards the No-Return Pass immediately.
Yang Kai knew that he could not intercept all of the Territory Lords. That was an unrealistic notion. Be that as it may, he could put his best effort into hunting down as many of them as possible as they gathered towards the No-Return Pass. In doing so, he could relieve some of the pressure that the Human Race would face in the future.
[I still have a chance…]
Not only were the Territory Lords heavily wounded, but they were also carrying the half-hatched High-Rank Black Ink Nests with them. In terms of speed, it was impossible for them to compete with Yang Kai who was proficient in the Dao of Space.
Furthermore, Mo Na Ye had placed them far away from the No-Return Pass to prevent these Territory Lords and Black Ink Nests from being discovered by Yang Kai. These positions were generally located beyond the ruins of previous Royal Cities scattered throughout various Theatres; hence, the distance between these positions and the No-Return Pass was extremely vast.
When Yang Kai travelled from Great Evolution Pass to the No-Return Pass under Old Ancestor Xiao Xiao’s orders, it took him more than a year without using Space Secret Techniques. Comparatively, the ruins of previous Royal Cities were located far beyond each Great Pass, which would add several more months of travel to a journey.
Even if these Territory Lords could move faster than the Yang Kai of the past, they were destined to spend at least half a year to arrive at the No-Return Pass. That would allow Yang Kai to ambush them.
Half a day later, Yang Kai spotted a cloud of dense Black Ink Strength in the distance. With time being of the essence, Yang Kai did not bother to conceal his arrival. In any case, the murderous intent wrapped around him during the chase could not be hidden.
At the same time that Yang Kai sensed this group of Territory Lords, the Territory Lords also discovered his presence. Their Divine Senses surged as they quickly communicated among themselves.
“Is that an Eighth-Order Human?”
“Yes, it’s an Eighth-Order Human Master!”
“Split up and flee!”
“Why are we fleeing? It’s just an Eighth-Order Human!”
“But, Sir Mo Na Ye ordered us to split up and flee if we encountered a Human Race Master!”
“Sir Mo Na Ye was probably referring to a Ninth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master. This guy is just an Eighth-Order…”
“He’s already here! How is he so fast?!”
…..
The endlessly surging Divine Senses froze at that moment as a Full Moon rose alongside a Great Sun into the void. At the same time, Time and Space became chaotic in the local area. The Territory Lords felt their perceptions becoming completely disrupted as a result. In the next moment, the wounded Territory Lords were horrified to discover that they could neither speak nor move. Not only did the space around them become extremely warped, but they couldn’t even perceive the passage of time properly…
Naturally, they were terrified. It was only at this moment that they understood the warning Mo Na Ye gave them. If they encountered a Human Race Master, they absolutely should not try to fight. On the contrary, they should immediately split up and escape so that as many of them could flee as possible. This person’s methods were strange indeed, far beyond their ability to comprehend.
The Territory Lord who previously looked down on the approaching Human for only being in the Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm was filled with a deep sense of regret. He initially thought that killing an Eighth-Order Open Heaven Realm Master when there were so many Innate Territory Lords on their side would be effortless even if they were wounded; however, it only took a single breath for him to become the fish on the chopping block instead.
He was secretly resentful that Mo Na Ye had not given them a more detailed explanation. As a result, he had mistakenly assumed that Mo Na Ye was warning them that a Ninth-Order Master was prowling around and thus stupidly underestimated the Eighth-Order Human before him.
The power of the Sun and Moon Divine Seal exploded as both Time and Space in the vast void were stretched and distorted wildly. It felt like there was an invisible millstone of Space-Time Strength grinding everything to dust.